The Raid by Steven Konkoly is the second book in the Ryan Decker series. While this book worked as a standalone novel, I feel that it would have been better to have read the series in order. There are references back to events that occurred in the first book.

This action thriller is well-written. Senator Steele asks Ryan and the team to take on an “off-the-books” mission along the US-Mexican border that involves drug cartels and unscrupulous people in the US government.

The story takes us from California to the border with Mexico to Colorado to Washington D. C. but most of it takes place along the border. It is exactly what you would expect from an action thriller with lots of concern over who can be trusted as well as plenty of information on weapons and covert gear.

There are a few twists to the story, but nothing that was too hard to deduce. There is a little character development, but I did not get a significant sense of what the main characters would be like in their down time outside of missions. Nonetheless, it was so full of action and excitement that it kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I was fully engaged in the mission becoming a success.
What is going on at the border? What are the cartels up to and why are some elements of the US government providing support to one or more of them? Who is masterminding the efforts? I recommend this book to those that like thrillers with a lot of action.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Steven Konkoly for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Excellent. Decker is a cool character, and this book kept me engaged. The author is talented and writes a solid plot with interesting characters and dialog; and good action sequences. Good stuff. Recommended.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

“The Raid” is the second book in the Ryan Decker series, and it does not disappoint. Our favorite characters are back, with Ryan on another mission that involves the Mexican drug cartels and shady elements within the US government. The action is non-stop (if not a little over the top), as Decker and his crew wage battle. No surprises here, just a good action thriller. Great, likeable characters, evil wrongdoers, and more than enough action to support the plot, which is not overly complicated like some other novels in this genre. Definitely looking forward to more in this series, which is now a must-read for me. This ARC was provided by the publisher via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The only reason I gave this book 5 stars was because I couldn’t give it 10 stars..This book had everything, including Cowboys and Indians, metaphorically speaking.It also had the “ Wow” factor, which means that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.I will look forward to reading his next book.

Former CIA operative Ryan Decker is back. Called to help with a delicate situation at the US-Mexico border, he finds that situation is much more involved than what appears on the surface. Once again, in this second book in the series, he doesn’t know who can be trusted. Relying on his own exceptional skills seems to be the best course.