This book was impossible to put down once I started reading it. If you are an action fan, you will not find a book with more action than this one from wildfires, bullets, hand to hand combat and runaway trains, just to name a few, this book will fill your cup up with its fast pace and adrenaline laced chapters. So what if some of the scenes were a little out there. That's what makes reading fiction so much fun. It's not supposed to be real.

Matthew Redd is a former Marine Raider. He is a wonderful husband and father by day. He is trying to build a search and rescue team in his hometown. When he is called to drop down into a fire zone to find a team of smoke jumpers who have gone silent, he does not even blink or think of saying no. He is devastated and shocked by what he finds, and this is just the beginning of a wild ride of horror, suspense and some scary moments. When I think about the character of Redd, I think warrior, hero, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk all rolled into one. This guy is fearless and his protective instincts are off the charts. A little boy needs his protection, and he will stop at nothing to protect him.

This story addresses hot button issues of drug overdoses and problems with addiction. There is so much at stake on this quest for truth and justice. This was basically a good versus evil scenario.

The characters in this book were interesting to say the least, as you will quickly learn that nothing is normal for this cast of characters. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I will be looking for more.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers through Interviews and Reviews. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Gone Dark by Ryan Steck is a fantastic, action-packed thriller. The Matthew Redd Thriller series reminds me of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs or the Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy. If you love stories centering on the lone hero, fighting for justice against all odds, you will be a fan of Gone Dark. Matthew Redd’s wife is about to have their second child, but he’s forced to take his family on the run. His mission is to protect a child who witnessed a horrific crime.

Matthew Redd makes the perfect action hero. From jumping onto a moving train to fighting bad guys through a fire, this story has all the action and suspense you need packed into one novel. Matthew Redd must choose from protecting his family or rescuing an innocent boy from the clutches of evil men. I love that Redd learns to rely on his friend Mikey in this story and has a partner.

Kick off your Summer of Suspense with this non-stop action novel.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Gone Dark by Ryan Steck is a nerve-racking and suspenseful thriller featuring Matthew Redd. This is the fourth book in the series and it starts with a chilling prologue. It’s wildfire season in Montana and eight smoke jumpers have been dropped into an area in Stillwater County, Montana to create breaks to stop the fires from getting to the town of Wellington. When they go dark after communicating everyone has landed safely, Sheriff Stuart Blackwood calls on Redd, the lead for the local Search and Rescue team, to find out what happened. He finds a killer has taken out the smoke jumper team along with two civilians. A young boy, Jack, is the only survivor. He and Redd narrowly escape the raging fire and the killer. Redd calls Gavin Kline, the acting director of the FBI to investigate.

Meanwhile, Redd’s wife Emily, an emergency physician, loses a patient to an overdose. Fed up with another loss, this one a former school mate and a wounded veteran, Emily confronts the retired doctor responsible for feeding her patient’s deadly addiction.

When Redd and Emily’s home is attacked later that day, they wonder which one of them the attacker was after. As the fire gets closer and they follow the connections, Redd’s concern for Jack grows.

Redd is a former Marine Raider who has inherited the ranch of his adopted father and is training the county’s search and rescue team. He has also gotten his Emergency Medical Technician certification. He’s smart, strong, and athletic. He is learning to accept help from his friends and loved ones, but it still runs counter to his instincts. He is working on his trust issues and rarely reveals his tender side to others besides Emily and their two-year-old son Matty, Jr. Emily is a few days away from delivering their daughter. She’s dedicated to her patients and enjoys domestic activities. Rubble, Redd’s dog, plays a role in the story as well.

The author does a good job of providing adequate background that allows this novel to be read as a standalone. However, there are references to events that occurred in the previous novels. This engrossing novel is full of intense action scenes and threats from both killers and wildfires. The story has excellent world-building, great characterization, and a gripping storyline that addresses real-world issues such as drug addiction, greed, and wildfires. Themes include drugs, power, money, family, friendship, and much more.

Overall, this was a suspenseful, compelling, engaging, and heart-pounding novel with well-developed characters and a great addition to the series. There are also some heart-warming scenes as well as heart-wrenching ones. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book. If you enjoy action thrillers and crime novels with a strong protagonist, then I recommend that you check out this series.

Tyndale House Publishers – Tyndale Fiction and Ryan Steck provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for June 17, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

this was a strong fourth entry in the Matthew Redd Thriller series, it had that suspenseful element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters had that feel that worked with the world and was engaged with what happened to them. I was invested in the characters and how they were developed. Ryan Steck has a strong writing style and I hope there is more in this series.

Matthew Redd is an ex-Marine, now living on a ranch in Montana. Now, he works as the head of the county's newly formed Search and Rescue team. Communication has been lost with a team of smokejumpers fighting a raging wildfire in the area and Redd is asked to drop into the fire zone to see why. He soon discovers that the entire team (minus two) has been killed and then finds a cabin with two dead civilians. The only witness to this horror is a terrified young boy named Jack.

At the same time, Matt's wife, Dr. Emily Redd, loses a patient to a drug OD. Even though she is soon to give birth to their second child, her anger at this senseless death leads her to confront a retired doctor who was feeding the patient's drug addiction.

Soon, the couple find themselves facing danger in their home. Unsure which of them is being targeted, they begin to think that the two cases might be related. Matt is determined to keep Jack safe, maybe seeing a bit of himself in the young boy.

The book is full of non-stop action, thrills and tension as the bad guys come after Matt and his friends and family. The book reads like a screenplay for a "Walker, Texas Ranger" episode and moves at a quick pace. At times, it almost felt cartoonish with how Redd was able to handle extremely tough (and often unbelievable) situations. But, if you enjoy this genre, the characters are well-written and likeable, the pace is fast and the ending is satisfying. "While there is life, there is hope."

I enjoyed the descriptions of the wildfire and the author does a great job depicting the sights, sounds and danger involved. As a retired volunteer firefighter, I could see these scenes in my mind as I read.

One quote that will stick with me: "Home wasn't a fixed place, but something else. It was wherever the people you love and who love you in return were always waiting." The book is part of a series, but I had no problem with following the storyline and the connections between characters even though I hadn't read the other books. If you enjoy this genre, you will enjoy this book. I plan on finding the rest of the books in this series to follow Matt and his family through other adventures.

Ryan does it again! From the beginning with the smoke jumpers launching to action, this book moves! It’s crazy to think of all the action here that happens in about a 24 hour period. I even learned more about uncoupling a train than I ever expected.

Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this, and there’s enough background provided that someone new to the series could pick up without missing a beat.

Ryan brought in more development of the secondary characters in this novel too, which adds a lot to the Redd-verse he created. Readers are in for a treat with this book in a couple weeks!

First of all, I’d like to thank Tyndale and NetGalley by providing me early access to GONE DARK by Ryan Steck. The Matthew Redd series is one I have quickly latched onto and been reading since the release of book one! Given the trajectory of how OUT FOR BLOOD concludes, I was curious how Ryan would plunk Matty back into action. Needless to say, GONE DARK finds the perfect foundation and provides not only a thrilling ride, but a heartfelt experience that had me turning each page.

Introduced in the first book of the series FIELDS OF FIRE, Matthew Redd is a former Marine Raider, an elite warrior for the U.S. Military. Now out of the service and making a life in Montana with his expecting wife and child, Redd has picked up rebuilding the ranch that his step-father had left him. Unfortunately with wildfires consuming all vegetation and life in its path, the smokejumpers are hard at work to prevent further hell.

Entrusted by the local Sheriff Blackwood, Redd has gone from fighting a billionaire’s conspiracy to living the ranching life and aiding the local Sheriff with training and head of the local search and rescue team. When a team of Smokejumpers has gone dark, Redd is requested to search for the missing team. But soon he finds himself trudging through the ash only to stumble upon a number of dead bodies belonging to the smokejumping team.

Quickly Redd finds himself caught between the crosshairs and the race is on to evade the gunfire and the raging fire. But what further complicates his survival is a boy named Jack and his Buzz Lightyear toy. Redd must navigate the fiery terrain and keep Jack safe.

Meanwhile Matthew’s wife Emily may only be a short while from giving birth, she continues her shifts at the hospital providing healthcare. But things quickly head south when a patient she knew dies from a drug overdose. It isn’t long before Emily is investigating the tragedy and finds herself marked for death. Exposing a conspiracy is such a Redd thing to do and both Matty and Emily are brilliant at it!

Ryan Steck is truly at home in this series. A neo-western, similar to the likes of Yellowstone, Matthew Redd shines and Steck crafts an engaging story. While the previous three books were fantastic, there is no senior slide or fourth book fatigue. No, Matthew Redd is back in his best outing yet!

Steck weaves a thrilling story that involves all of the series characters we have come to love. From Emily to Gavin to Mikey, each has a role that feels not only organic to their character, but also the progression of the story. Meanwhile Matthew Redd and Jack lay the groundwork for not only the main punctuation of the story, but these two are the epitome of a beating heart. Each interaction is a fresh pump, followed by an intensity that leaves you on the edge of your seat as the action hits a breakpointing that has your eyes scanning each word as fast as possible to thumb page after page until the end hits like a runaway train.

Ryan Steck nailed it with GONE DARK. A perfect culmination of Matthew Redd’s drive and perception on life, that connection with Jack is utter brilliance! We are only half way through the year, but GONE DARK is without a doubt a contender for book of the year. From the thrilling story to the danger lurking in the shadow for the Matty and the crew, Steck crafts the action and builds that emotional arc, one that leaves its best moment for the ending and without a gunshot or punch thrown. GONE DARK knows when to be gritty and knows when to peel the layers back and celebrate the victories.

GONE DARK by Ryan Steck has earned a five out of five!

An action thriller, Gone Dark (2025) by Ryan Steck is another Matt Redd adventure tale. A former Marine, Matt Redd leads a Search & Rescue team in Stillwater County, Montana. When a team of specialised firefighters fail to report in after attending to a wildfire, Matt is sent in. Shockingly, all the firefighters have been killed along with an unknown couple hiding in a cabin in the woods. When Matt finally gets back home, he discovers his wife has been attacked, after reporting a medical practitioner for oversubscribing. As the wildfires rage, Matt and Emily set out to confront the doctor, failing to realise there are dangerous men wanting to harm them. An enjoyable action-packed tale, with a caring family man who will use his skills specialist to protect those he loves. Although a series, no previous information is needed to truly enjoy this four star rating story. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

In recent years voiced by the likes of Sam Elliott, Al Roker, Stephen Colbert and Jeff Foxworthy, the numero uno Ursus americanus started things out in poster form back in 1944 after Walt Disney nixed the use of his cartoon personalities following a year of admonishing Americans about wild fires. Making a strong argument for an ounce of prevention, Smokey Bear took up the slack while a lot of firefighters were fighting oppressive regimes' armies across the pond, leaving the ranks at home a tad light. Securing the name and image via an Act of Congress in 1952, Smokey has been going strong for 80+ years, fighting the good fight and reminding of the dangers of wildfires. Fire, a living monster, a roaring dragon eating everything in its path, until it meets a devil dog in the fires of Hades. Montana's fav Leatherneck is back in GONE DARK, a brand new thriller that brings the heat this Summer and drops Matt Redd in the midst of ruthless killers, conspiracy, fire fights, big pharma scams, and a raging FIRESTORM.

For those who may have skipped Book two and three, Matt Redd is still the stoic and dedicated JARHEAD on the range, though now he's swapped God, Corps, country for farm, wife, kids and truck. Starting out with a wildfire run amok, GONE DARK makes a good case for Big Sky Country, prime territory for summer fires and an advisable renaming to 'The Matchstick State.' Nearly as ginormous as REACHER, Matt Redd is a man with a knack for running headlong into conspiracies and solving problems through grim determination and muleheaded stubbornness. As such, Redd is now part of the county's volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) program; actually, he IS the Search and Rescue program. With a record heavier on taking lives rather than saving them, it remains to be seen whether this is the right place for the man who insists that he doesn't go looking for trouble--it just has a way of finding him. Nonetheless, when baddies live by 'Kill Them All' & 'no loose ends', you definitely want someone like Matt Redd in your corner.

A well-done mix of SHOOT TO KILL and RED SKIES OVER MONTANA, GONE DARK manages to address real life issues like the fentanyl/opioid epidemic, veterans adjusting to civilian life and rural economics into an action packed and constantly moving narrative. Additionally featuring an interesting exposition on Tannerite, GONE DARK dishes on everything you never thought you needed to know about wildfires, firefighting, treating OD patients, triaging bludgeon victims, surviving a forest fire, and administer a thoracostomy. You'll come up aces, for sure. Emphasizing that dead bodies have a bad habit of bringing unwanted attention, Matt Redd doubles down. He's tried needlepoint, and he's not a scalpel, nor a hatchet. He's a maul. GONE DARK maul, Redd's adventure quickly turns from a rescue mission to a crime scene in two shakes of a fire wand. Though not a RUNAWAY TRAIN, MONEY TRAIN or the Iron Dragon barreling into Dark Territory, GONE DARK has Montana under siege and Redd's gotta go full Jack Traven and City Bus 2525. BoxCar Matty has to fly, has to fight, has to crow--has to save Rubble and has to save Jack. Redd is back. GONE DARK is an old school Western in disguise, a mystery, conspiracy and thriller through and through--sure to light up summer reading and fulfill all genre-fan cravings for good old American Action.

Another great story from Ryan Steck in the Matthew Redd series. Lots of action and suspense however some scenes do get a bit ridiculous bit overall a good read

This is book four in the Matthew Redd Thriller series, I have not read book one or two in this series, I do wish I had and I will go back and read them. However, this was a great book and I know I missed some information that would have made this book better. That being said I had no issues keeping up and enjoying this book. I enjoyed getting to know Matthew Redd, his family and his friends. This is such a thriller and fast action page turning book. I love everything about this series and think it would make a great movie. I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

Andrews & Wilson are great. The story telling is always excellent and compelling. The writing is always tight, the pacing driven, and the characters well developed and deepening with every installment. Dark Rising is no exception.

Having said all that, I will not be following the Shepherds Series any further. I find stories that dip "far" into evil and the occult disturbing and many decades ago made a decision to stay far away from these genres. Dark Rising has crossed that threshold for me, and I only got this far because I love these guys. I also find the concept of Christian warriors physically battling occult and supernatural forces to the death disturbing. My understanding of the Bible does not accommodate that storyline. Thanks, gents, for so many exciting hours of reading. I look forward to continuing to follow your work closely in your other series.

Gone Dark
Book 4 Matthew Redd Thriller
Ryan Steck06/17/2025
Tyndale House Publishers  
When Matthew and Emily start their day, there is no way they could have been expecting the fallout.  Emily, an ER doctor, has a patient and former school mate,  die of a drug overdose.  Her heart is in the right place when she contacts the prescribing doctor, but when she gets home with her son an intruder decides that she needs to be silenced.  Luckily, she is a Redd and a fighter and does not relent.   Matthew is called in on the same day when a group of smoke jumpers goes missing. The Sheriff can count on Matt and his ability to do what is asked of him.  What no one knew is that he was following an assassin of sorts straight into the fire.  Not only does Matthew ride the fire out and report back what is happening to the smoke jumpers, he brings out a little boy named Jack.  Thriller readers never believe in a coincidence– so how are these two connected?  Matt,Emily and Jack are all seemingly targets. Who is behind this and what will they do to make sure there are no loose ends?  As the body count rises, the question remains – who will benefit and at what cost?  Ryan Steck has a way with relentless nonstop action that keeps the pages turning long into the night! I am anxious to see if Montana can hold Matthew Redd and his family.  He seems destined for bigger things.

The series has become a comfortable friend as we know to expect lots of action,. This time we’re not sure who is the real target. Is it Matthew or Emily. both have made enemies. One is searching for a murderer and the other for a the cause of a drug epidemic. With lots of action going on, I kept waiting for the two threads to merge..

Gone Dark is the 4th installment in the Matthew Redd series, and finds Matt embroiled in a battle against the elements, as well as ruthless drug traffickers. Matt is airdropped into a raging wildfire to search for a team of firefighters who have disappeared. When he finds them murdered, as well as a young boy who apparently witnessed the murders, Matt and the boy become targets, but protecting the child may come at a personal cost. As with prior books in this series, there’s a high body count and plenty of action, but the sheer number of calamities thrown his way, including wildfires, assassins, attacks on his wife, runaway trains, etc., just pushes this one over the edge into comic book territory, as the implausibilities mount with each chapter. Although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series, this one is an outlier, and the repeated theme of Matt’s wife and best friend becoming intricately involved in the exploits is becoming tiresome. After this book, I believe the series is in need of a refresh, as this one falls flat. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

YES! I think this book as been my favorite so far in the Matthew Redd series! In Gone Dark, Matthew jumps into action as he begins to help save fire jumpers who have gone missing. However it's never really that simple in a Matthew Redd story. Matty and his wife get in on the action as they battle good vs evil in the Montana wilderness. In the middle of it all his family is growing!! I love the addition of more family members and fighting to help and protect the littles! Yes, yes and yes! I can't wait to read more in the series and hope we get to start to see how Matty develops as a father! Thank you to the publisher and author for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

GONE DARK is the fourth novel in the Matthew Redd series by RYAN STECK, but it can easily stand alone. Not only is the story nail biting, but the authot also takes us through the characters’ emotions. In amongst the race against time to fight the raging fire, stop the criminals, and save Jack, there is a strong sense of family values …….
I cannot recommend this exciting and thought provoking thriller strongly enough and guarantee you will not be able to put it down.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.