The Russian is a must-read. Great storyline and amazing characters

Synopsis:
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.

This was an ok book. It was good to read but I didn’t get that sense of thrill I typically get when reading Ben Coes other books. I have heard there may be a second book after this one, so I will read it and see if it gets better.

I usually like books like this, but this didn't work for me. It's a lot of telling and not showing and while I am okay with that sometimes, this was so much that the book felt stiff. The actual story felt like it was starched and left to hang. I couldn't get through the whole thing, not matter how much I tried. That's not at all normal for me. I am just turning this review in to Net Galley, because I think I'm the odd reviewer out here. I am not use to a DNF book.

This is the first in the series and my first read by this author. Two US Senators have been assassinated and the Russian mafia is behind it. What ensues is a fast paced race to get the bad guys behind this, but the Russians strike first and Rob Tacoma is now basically on his own to find and kill the mob boss behind it all. This was a great read, very violent but I was prepared for that, and I enjoyed this one very much. The ending was interesting but keeping in mind this is the first in a series it was not going to have a bow on it like I might have wanted.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

A tremendously fast paced thriller. It has everything you could want in a book of this genre. If you love a heart pounding, fast moving read than this one is for you.

What a fantastic novel! I love that we got to follow Rob Tacoma more in-depth. Although I really missed a Dewey Andreas novel, this was superb!

Ben Coes is a superstar in the action thriller genre and The Russian is another 5 star in his series. Deviating slightly from his Dewey Andreas series, The Russian stars Rob Tacoma (normally a minor character in Coes' books) as the lead and the results are spectacular. I love the Coes took the time to build out the legend of Tacoma and hope that we will see a sequel to The Russian in the future.

The Russian is a MUST READ and Coes continues to keep his place as one of the very best thriller writers!

I was unable to read this book due to the formatting of the ARC I received. I tried but had to give up after a few pages. There were no paragraphs and the sentences were broken mid-word. So my rating is entirely due to the formatting and not to the content of the book.

Ben Coes is a top notch thriller writers taking over the genre with top notch action. I truly loved this novel and look forward to more of Coes writing. Recommended.

THE RUSSIAN by Ben Coes is a well written novel that is based on a theme that has become popular since the fall of the Soviet Union; the Russian Mob is the focus of this novel along with a special forces agent by the name of Rob Tacoma who is experienced with a history of being successful in difficult assignments, and he might be the only one capable of stopping the threat involving high level political figures that have been targeted.

Armed with the skill set he’s acquired through brutal training and previous missions, his selection is also based on a revenge factor, as his father was killed by the Russian mob in the past, and eventually he reluctantly agrees to accept this dangerous assignment that seems to be more of a suicide mission for him than his having a chance to succeed; let alone survive.

Several figures associated with the Russian mob figure heavily into Rob’s mission, one is an American politician who is in deep to the Russian mob, and his betrayal has been well hidden previously, yet recent demands placed upon him leave him exposed to being discovered as the traitor he is.

Two more people are capable of seeing an end to the threat that Rob poses to the mob; one a beautiful but deadly agent, and another who is a brutal and feared crime boss.

Can Rob succeed in the face of the seemingly impossible odds to be successful in a mission where he is on his own facing up against the power and resources of the large faction of the mob he’s attempting to bring down?

Great action in this one, and while it is based on some well used subjects in the storytelling, it does so in a way that while it seems too incredible to be true, it actually hits the mark.

4 stars.

The Russian Mafia has taken over the criminal underground in the United States and the current forms of law enforcement can't stop them. When the Mafia takes out two major political figures, the United States has to take drastic measures. Rob Tacoma is brought in by the CIA to take out the Russian leaders here in the United States. When his partner is murdered before there mission even begins, he realizes he is on his own. This is this the first in a new series that will follow Tacoma as he takes on this war on the Russian Mafia all the way to its top leadership.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. While I have read other thrillers in the past, this isn't my usual style of read. Ben Coes did a fabulous job in both his writing style and story development. This book wouldn't appeal JUST to lovers of this genre, but also those who just love a good story in general. I highly enjoyed this and sped right through this story. I can't wait to see where this series goes and fully intend to pick up his prior series and read those as some of the characters are seen in this series as well. A SOLID 4 out of 5 stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Russian was a fast-paced and action-packed read written by Ben Coes. What happens when the Russian mafia all but declares war on the United States of America? You send a former Navy Seal/CIA Agent to straighten them out, i.e. Rob Tacoma,

This book was an action-packed read and hard to put down. It read like an action movie and I enjoyed it very much. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from NetGalley/Publisher
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 SEALs 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.

This was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed the emergence of Rob Tacoma as the main protagonist in the Russian. The entire concept of this book is brilliant. One of my top books so for. Don't miss it!

I have been searching for a book to rival the Red Sparrow series for a long time and this may just be it. Great detail, excellent intrigue, and exciting from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this book. This is a good novel for readers who like a high body count and an indestructible hero.

Another knockout book by Ben Coes. Once I started reading the first chapter, I could not put the book down. Coes does a fantastic job of pulling the reader along for a thrilling ride. It felt like I was in the story. With everything going on globally, the book was especially timely. I am looking forward to the next story!

Part Ethan Hunt (Mission Impossible), part Jack Reacher and all suspense and slick spy maneuvers. I was drawn in from the first page and the oh-so-current-news type of espionage topics made it all the more disturbing. New to this author, but will definitely be searching out prior efforts!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Ben Coes and NetGalley for the opportunity to read (enjoy!) and submit an honest review for this novel.

The Russian Mafia wants a war? It seems so when two popular politicians are assassinated by Russian agents virtually simultaneously. The President seeks permission from members of the Senate to make use of a little-known codicil to the Constitution that allows him to enact temporary law in emergency situations, to make use of extreme force on domestic soil. Two highly-skilled operatives are called into play but one is assassinated almost immediately. Obviously the mafia has their eye on the situation. The other agent, Rob Tacoma, must try to stay under their radar and learn who is calling the shots in this so-called 'war.'

This is the first thriller I have read by Ben Coes and I thought this first book in a new series would be a good place to start. Although there's a bit of confusion at the beginning of the novel while introducing several characters and threads of the plot, I soon found myself immersed in the story. Lots of exciting action keeps the plot moving swiftly along. Fans of the genre written by the likes of Brad Thor and Vince Flynn are sure to like this thriller too. The ending leaves room for more to come in this series.

I received an arc of this thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I apologize for taking so long to finally read it.

I've read it during my summer holidays but forgot to mark it as such. It was a good book, but I've read it with that usual grain of salt since the Ben Coes books reflect his political views usually. Still a nice, fast-paced thriller.

Ben Coes’ New Hit, “The Russian”
Ben Coes achieved bestselling status with his very first novel, Power Down. Following that impressive book, he has written several books as part of that Dewey Andreas series. Since that has been an all time favorite, I admit feeling cautious knowing Mr. Coes’ newest would feature a new character. A needless concern. The Russian is sure to be another bestseller.

Once again, the author’s skill and creativity are amazing. From the very first page, the Russian grabs hold of the reader, drawing us right into the setting and circumstances. You have to read on to learn what happens next.

When first a Senator and then a Governor running for President die within hours of each other, assassination is suspected. One man was a Democrat, the other a Republican. Both were very well respected as fighters against Russian mob.

The Codicil
Fighting the powerful mob holds difficulty, especially since our military forces are not allowed to act on home soil. Enter The Codicil. Hidden in a White House safe, written at the time of the Constitution, it offers a means of legalizing action–in secret. Requiring a unanimous vote of twelve senators, the codicil is almost never considered. The decision made this time may change everything.

Of course, in America, when politicians are involved, there is always some doubt about secrecy. With corruption so widespread, can secrets be kept?

The Team
With the secret vote for approval, Hector Calibrezi (also from the Dewey Andreas series), creates a two man team to start the fight. Rob Tacoma and Billy Cosgrove. Will the two men be able to accomplish such a large task?

Rob Tacoma is our new hero, strong, clever and highly effective. To top it off, Dewey Andreas does make an appearance–sure to make fans smile. The two have a solid relationship from previous assignments which adds connection to their dialogue. It sounds as though the two of them may share future experiences together which makes it that much more exciting. While The Russian has a solid ending, it appears there will be more to come. Can’t wait for the next one.

The Audio Version
The book is fantastic in audio, narrated by the very capable Ari Fliakos. His voice provides the required gravitas of the situation, the tension and drama. Any accents done are so seamless you don’t even realize it. The perfect narration for a book that will keep your earbuds in until you finish.

Ben Coes is an exceptional writer. His plotting with its many tangents, his well described settings and battles, and the dialogue throughout is intriguing and concise.

Do not miss it!

Ben Coes is one of the best thriller writers going today and with this new series, starring one of his regular characters from the Dewey Andreas book, the future is bright. This was fun, at some points it bordered on the incredible, but still fun. Let's put it this way. I don't think even Jack Reacher would stand a chance against Rob Tacoma.
Plus with an ending that promises more, we will have to see what's next for Calibrisi, Katie, Rob and Dewey.