Fast paced and action packed! I think if you enjoy books from Lee Child, Mark Dawson, Vince Flynn, etc then this book is definitely for you. The writing was a bit light in descriptions but it made up for it in other ways. I would give it a solid three and a half stars as it is the first in a series so it was setting the stage for the future installments.

Thank you to Mr. Coes, St. Martin's press, and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Russian. This was my first book by Mr. Coes. Rob Tacoma is a former Navy SEAL and former CIA agent that is tracking down the Russian Mob. He also has a backstory related to the Russian Mafia, I do not like to talk too much about characters and their development, It always makes for a better book in my opinion. While saying that I found the characters not that well rounded for my taste. The descriptions of the characters were kind of generic, race, clothes, hair color etc. The Russian certainly has the thriller / spy mentality, but I found it a little to formulaic, Americans good guys, Russians bad guys etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I didn't read anything that set it apart from the genre. If you are military, ex-military, conservative etc, I think you will enjoy The Russian. Thanks again. #therussian #netgalley

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Generally, I enjoy action thrillers, but not this one. It felt familiar, formulaic and a bit boring. Rob Tacoma, the protagonist, is one-dimensional and the way characters were described didn't tell me anything about them, just the superficials: their dress, their political leanings, their coloring. There was no 'meat' to the people and I wasn't invested in any of them. I'm sure, seeing other reviews, the book will do well, but it was not for me, sorry!

A great start to. New series non stop action twists and turns my favorite kind of edge of the seat thriller,Highly recommend The Russian.#netgalley #st.Martinsbooks.

This was a highly entertaining and quick paced story typical of one of my favorite authors, Ben Coes. Many twists and turns made the book hard to put down.. It is the first in a new Coes series that I was looking forward to, but was disappointed with the ending related to the villain. It didn’t make sense to me, but admit it is a natural lead-in to the next book in the series.

Will post review in online venues and links below closer to publication. Thank you!

Ben Coes just keeps getting better and better. In 2019 he opted for a twist on the "regular" thriller schedule, and rather than introducing another novel in his Dewey Andreas series, he has written The Russian, a novel for Rob Tacoma. Rob is not a stranger to fans of Coes as he is a character that has been involved with Dewey in previous novels. This book gives readers that rare deeper look into the life and mind of another character in the world created by skilled authors.

As is normal for Coes, and within the genre, the plot appears to be something right out of the newspaper (that is old school for where news was read) or off of the headlines reported by any news outlet. The Russian mob can easily trace its roots to the breakup of the Soviet Union. In the void created by the change in government influential and enterprising individuals, often already in powerful positions, took control of industry and resources within Russia and gave birth to the oligarch and the Russian mafia. With little morals other than the lust for power and money, these individuals and families spread throughout the world and deal in drugs, human trafficking, gambling, and anything else they can find a way to monetize.

In an attempt for additional power grabs, a sitting US Senator and a presidential candidate/Governor of Florida are assassinated for their hard line stance and fight against the Russian mafia in the US. The CIA enlists Tacoma and his skills as a member of a team established to uncover those responsible and take the fight directly to them.

I think fans of Dewey Andreas will enjoy this book and the Rob Tacoma storyline. Coes also does a good job with character setup that anyone not already familiar with the name, and some of his background will be able to enjoy this story and feel up to speed. The book is action packed. In a twist from many novels in the genre, the fight against evil is almost exclusively waged within the continental US, which adds an interesting element to the story.

This book is a great addition to a packed summer line up in 2019. I give it 9.5 out of 10 stars, and look forward to future stories with Rob Tacoma.

I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts and opinions. I extend my gratitude to them.

Rob Tacoma may become one of the next big action stars as his series progresses. This book does a fine job of introducing Tacoma and his overall mission. I have only read one of the Dewey Andreas books, but I believe Rob may have been a side character in those novels.

Russians seem to be all the rage again as villains and there are many layers of villainy in this story. There is definitely a ton of action sequences and espionage thrills. It's very reminiscent of the Bourne/Bond movie series in that regard.

Sometimes the pantheon of characters gets confusing to keep up with and I would have liked to see a bit more focus on characterization.

Overall, it's an enjoyable action thriller that makes for a fun summer read. I recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy.

I couldn’t get past the absolutely abysmal writing to get even a semblance of plot line in this chopped-up mess of a book. When I’m mentally editing the second sentence in the prologue, it’s a pretty good indication the rest of the story is in as bad a shape. It read like a James Bond wannabe fantasy scribble in an intro creative writing elective filler course; was expecting to see little drawings in the margins. I made it to chapter two, yay me. Slush pile.

When two American politicians, a Republican Senator and the Democrat Governor of Florida, both well known for their opposition to the Russian Mafia, are assassinated on the same night, it is a call to war for President J. P. Dellenbaugh. Acting on the authority of a secret codicil to the Consitution, he forms a clandestine committee of United States Senators to oversee the actions of a two-man CIA kill team. That team will have but one purpose; to find and eliminate the assassins and those who ordered the murders. The President aims to fight fire with fire by giving no mercy to the Russian mobsters. What follows is a hurricane of betrayal, killing, fast cars, faster jets, beautiful assassins, grisly murders, and ugly murderers. Standing in the storm's eye is one man, Rob Tacoma. He's good at what he does, but will one man be enough?

"The Russian" fills the bill for a summer read; quick moving, filled with unsurvivable violence and bling-filled scenes, it has enough substance to keep your interest, but is not complex enough to overburden your beach brain. It even has a bit of humor; I mean what man would wear a blue blazer with white piping, a red t-shirt, and white jeans in public? All that's missing is the Good Humor Man's cap. Hey, there's also a sequel in the works for next year!

I recommend this novel for those who really don't like Russian criminals, and because the author has a large family to support.

St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley are to blame for the hash I have made of this review because they gave me the ARC on which it is based.

I am back and forth on this one. On the one hand, The Russian was a fun, fast paced spy novel. On the other hand, I feel like I have severe deja vu because this story is all too familiar; it's been told many times before.

I am a sucker for a good spy novel; Daniel Silva is basically my best friend and the early Vince Flynn novels kept me reading for days on end. Both authors brought unique perspectives to the genre and while I enjoyed reading The Russian, I just don't feel as though it was original or special in its story or plot.

Rob Tacoma - elite warrior and US soldier - has been tasked with taking down the Russian Mafia. A faction of the mafia is being blamed for the assassination of two prominent US political figures and a high level operative who was tasked with taking them down. Now, with bodies piling up around him, Rob is the only person who can be trusted to see that the Russians meet their revenge. After Rob receives clearance from congress to work through the CIA on US soil, he gets to work finding the men that caused mayhem on the country.

Again, overall, this was a super fun and fast paced book. I found myself not able to put it down but I still just didn't think this was special compared to the dozens of other spy novels I have read. I would read more of Ben Coes as Tacoma is going to be a series and I do hope he brings some variety to his next work.

Many thanks to NetGalley for my copy of The Russian in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book featuring Rob Tacoma (after 8 scintillating books featuring Dewey Andreas) by Ben Coes, and he has not slowed down one iota! Two high-profile members of the US government - a senator and the governor of Florida - are executed within minutes of each other. Both politicians are known for their outspokenness on the Russian mafia, and the President and his cabinet decide that extraordinary measures are needed to stop this threat to America. Tacoma, ex-Navy Seal and CIA agent. now working for an exclusive private contractor, is brought in by Hector Calibrisi, head of the CIA, to partner with another former Navy Seal, Billy Cosgrove, to operate within the US to find and eliminate those behind the assassinations and the threat to the country. But before they can team up, Cosgrove is killed. Tacoma walks into the middle of the killing scene and is able to capture one of the attackers, which begins a frantic, dangerous operation to stop those up the ladder in the foreign organization. As always in Coes’ books, the action starts on the first page and is non-stop. Tacoma is a protagonist the likes of Dewey Andreas in Coes’ books and Mitch Rapp, Scot Harvath, and Gabriel Allon. And I think the ending of the book portends some interesting future books in the series. This is another don’t miss from one of the best authors in the thriller genre today. My thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Coes book 2 for me. Same as one. Hokey. Character and plot "lite". Just like the first book I read, Bloody Sunday, the first half the book was really annoying with a lot of tripe like constant, ridiculous fashion statements every time the main character makes an appearance. I was almost to the point of starting a drinking game every time i saw the words "dirty blonde hair". Geesh. I could fill this up with specific examples of problems but why bother. If you are stuck in an airport and someone left this on the seat, it will relieve your boredom. Other than that, just not worth time. Sadly, I think Coes has the chops but is somewhat lazy and is just turning this rot out to make a quick buck.

Review by 2shay..........🌟🌟🌟..........

I’m a sucker for books about the military or ex-military service members, so this one felt perfect for me. Unfortunately, it fell a little short. From the beginning, there were too many scene changes, too many point-of-view changes and far too little character development. I learned more about weapons and various aircraft than the people.

There is a lot of action, and that’s what kept me reading. I was rooting for Rob Tacoma all the way, even though I found his skill set a little over blown. I did learn a little about his military training, but it was mostly about the brutality he was forced to endure.

In fact, the whole book is brutal and cold. With a single exception, there is no perception of feeling at all, about all the death or anything else. Does Rob have a girlfriend? Has he ever? Does he have a friend with benefits? Is he gay? Who knows? We weren’t told.

Still, the book is readable and will be perfect for those who shun stories with a hint of emotion. If you’re that reader, pick up a copy and...

Enjoy!

Arc graciously provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary

Ben Coes is back with a fantastic new series starting with The Russian. Well constructed characters, plot, and action sequences.

Just finished “the Russian“ by Ben Coes.Rated it five stars. It has the “wow” factor, and my only problem was not being able to turn the pages fast enough. It’s going to be a great new series, and I’ll look forward to the next book. Thank you for allowing me to review an advance copy.

Mr Coes knocks it out of the park again. If you're a fan of Dewey you'll love his latest effort even though Dewey only plays a minor role.

Smart authors know when they've gone on long enough with a character and Mr Coes has chosen to put Tacoma in the spotlight this go round.

Personally I hope Dewey makes a comeback but it's definitely nice to see someone get some of the limelight.

I often like action/suspense novels, but even with plot-based books, I want to care about SOMEBODY. Unfortunately, the way Coes construes character is by telling us what color skin they have, what party they vote for, what kind of shoes they wear, and what kind of car they drive. That’s an OK start, but it’s not the same thing as complex characters. If I don’t care about the characters, I don’t care if they succeed, even if they are the good guys trying to save the world.

Fortunately, I didn’t squander any money on this cookie-cutter boredom fest because NetGalley was kind enough to send me an advance copy to review. The book RELEASES JULY 30, 2019.

An excellent start to a new series. Enough action for the greediest thrill seekers, but allowing enough room for the main character to grow along with his support team. The Russian mafia has its tentacles in much of America, but when they kill a senator and a presidential candidate, Who you gonna call? None other than Ben Coes’ new superhero, Rob Tacoma. The very fast-paced story leaves me eager for the next installment already to see how the loose ends are tied up.

A great start to a new series. If you like action packed fast moving stories in this genre then you are going to enjoy this book. Good story line and a pleasure to read.

I am a big fan of Ben Coes and the Dewey Andreas novels. It was fun to see him try another character, this one named Tacoma. I read the novel as soon as the publisher and NetGalley made it available. I did enjoy it. That said, I think that there is still work to be done. Not everything flows smoothly. Using Dewey in that last scene seemed uncalled for. Either Tacoma succeeds without him, or they might as well make the two partners.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.