Firstly thank you to Net Galley, The publishers and the author for an ARC copy for an honest review, and I apologise for my delay.

Firstly I loved the book, the character, a great pace, great action, a strong main character.

Action thrillers are my favourite, and this hit the mark, with another series to catch up with, ordered book 4, 5 and 6th. Add this to the list of favourite characters, Jon Reznick, Nowhere Man, Gray Man, Jack Reacher, Will Robie, John Puller, Atlee Pine, Rachel Hatch and many more.

When Blaze stops at an isolated gas station in the forests of Kentucky's Appalachians, he stumbles on to something sinister. Dangerous men with deadly intentions are stalking a strange group – two cops, a fugitive, and a lawyer. An ambush is underway; an execution is about to go down. Blaze isn’t one to look the other way. But before he knows it, he has a pack of mercenaries after him. From the Appalachians to the heart of Washington, DC, it becomes a relentless game of cat and mouse. But what the hunters don't realize is, they’ve taken on more than they can handle.

When it comes to deadly sport, Blaze is a master of the game – he’s no easy prey.

Fast paced, non stop action, good nasty villains.

Five stars

The first time I read this author and was surprised by the action of the book and the pace... I was able to read it in one afternoon and I did not want to stop once I began the story. Blaze is a good character and with this author, I will definitely read it again. The story is set in the Appalachian Mountains and begins in a small town and starts with just some men saying they cannot enter the town for gas. Those same men for the most part enjoy getting the shit kicked out of them multiple times instead of just leaving because they continue to think they can defeat him. It just goes on from there. Very much worth the read if you are into action, good characters all around even the bad guys.

What a story this was!! Kept me on the edge of my seat. I never knew it what was going to happen next. I just knew it was going to be really BAD for the bad guys! They definitely suffer violent injuries as they try to intimidate and harm Blaze and those around him. He isn't out to just randomly hurt people but he's definitely skilled if he has to. For some, the detailed violence might be a bit too much. But he really is a protector of the innocent as is shown time and again. He even gives the people in his way, a choice which unfortunately few take him up on. They constantly underestimate him to their hurt.
When Blaze finds out what the deadly mercenary group is trying to protect, he is all out to put a stop to it. I really enjoyed not only Blaze as person but also the people that come along side him to help. A good crew, some with him all the way and some pop in to help for a shorter period of time. It really made things all the more interesting.
I liked how everything ended and have to say that I'm glad I was able to grab this story. Especially since, I had read one other story about Blaze and I was glad that this story didn't disappoint me either!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Blaze is here to stay! I loved the first two Axel Blaze thrillers and was really looking forward to Hard Target being released. I can happily say I wasn’t disappointed. So far as writing detailed action sequences is concerned, Bill Runner is incomparable. Blaze goes through bad guys like it’s no one’s business. I love the idea of Blaze as a righteous hero who won’t stand by and watch when bad guys go about their evil ways. This book had a broader scope with cops, FBI, Marshals, mercenaries and the Russian mafia making an appearance. The way Blaze goes about trapping and taking down the enemy, it’s clear he’s not just a fighter but a master manipulator as well. I loved the secondary characters, mostly his buddies from his army days. The author has again come up with a winner.

Good book and series! This book had high suspense, intrigue, tons of action, murder, great detective work and lots of crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book and series! They're well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!