All Fall Down, penned by the brilliant James Brabazon, is an adrenaline-pumping, high-stakes thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Brabazon's gripping storytelling and impeccable attention to detail make this book an absolute page-turner.

From the very first chapter, the intensity of All Fall Down grips you and doesn't let go. The protagonist, Max McLean, is a compelling and complex character, adding layers of depth to the narrative. His journey, fraught with danger and moral dilemmas, draws readers into a world of espionage and covert operations unlike anything they've experienced before.

Brabazon's background as an award-winning war correspondent shines through in the book, infusing it with an authenticity that is both chilling and fascinating. The author's insider knowledge of the dark and dangerous world of espionage brings a level of realism to the story that sets it apart from other thrillers.

The plot is a carefully woven web of intrigue, mystery, and heart-pounding action. Each twist and turn takes you deeper into the heart of the conspiracy, leaving you guessing until the very end. Brabazon's ability to keep the tension taut throughout the novel is a testament to his mastery of the genre.

What sets All Fall Down apart is not just its gripping plot, but also its thought-provoking exploration of moral ambiguity and the cost of doing what is necessary to protect one's country. As Max McLean navigates the treacherous waters of espionage, the novel delves into the complexities of loyalty, sacrifice, and the often-blurred lines between good and evil.

Brabazon's writing style is sharp and evocative, immersing readers in the heart-pounding action and painting a vivid picture of the various settings, from the bustling streets of London to the hostile landscapes of war-torn regions. The pacing is relentless, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.

All Fall Down is an enthralling roller-coaster ride that will satisfy even the most discerning thriller enthusiasts. James Brabazon's masterful storytelling, compelling characters, and heart-stopping action make this book a must-read for anyone craving an electrifying and thought-provoking reading experience. Brace yourself for an unforgettable journey that will leave you breathless and craving more from this talented author.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Caro

The Break Line was such a thrilling book taking me by surprise several times with scenes that gave me goosebumps, to which I still think of, but it was more exciting was how it wrapped up and all the secrets that were revealed at the end. The book on it’s own worked as a stand alone, the reason why I didn’t expect a sequel, but boy was I wrong. All Fall Down is the perfect sequel in the Max McLean series.

This time Max finds himself framed for several deaths and is on the run with the only clue that can help him, a hundred dollar bill. He is wounded during his initial mission, barely surviving with the help of an old friend, but when they’re attacked during the night, and the house he was staying set on fire, Max is knocked unconscious. He later finds himself hung upside down in a container on a ship with a Russian crew. As he frees himself, he suffers more injuries and ends up under the care of a local hospital in Kent, where he later escapes from.

“In my jacket pocket: one hundred milliliters of legal pepper spray and a Pozidriv screwdriver with a six-inch shank. Knives were illegal to carry, and if I got stopped and searched I needed to be as clean as possible. A screwdriver would be easier to explain away than a blade, and would stab and throw just as well.”

While on the run, once again, he makes his way to France where he manages to obtain a Greek passport with the help of an old acquaintance. Before their meeting is over, Max is ambushed by several people trying to get a hold of the hundred dollar bill he has. While trying to evade everyone following him, Max goes into the tunnels under the city where he meets an Indian student exploring the tunnels, Bhavneet “Baaz” Singh. From this point on Max and Baaz become a team working together to get to the bottom of the hundred dollar bill mystery.

Max seems to be finding himself wrapped up in missions related to his past that only he can solve. It almost makes the reader wonder if the agency is using him for this sole purpose. He goes to Israel in search of his childhood friend, Rachel, in hopes of explaining his current situation to her, but once he is moments from seeing her for the first time in years, he is notified she has been missing for days. The chapter where he learns more about her and what she has been doing, while exploring the slumps of Israel, is one of my favorites in the book.

Baaz was such an interesting character. There is so much information the reader learns from him throughout the book. His chemistry with Max made them look like a seasoned team, even though Max sometimes would do things that went against Baaz’s beliefs. Max being a special agent never really knew if to trust him or not, but it was sad to see them go their separate ways. They could have been a good team. Will we see Baaz in future books? *wink*

The Russia chapters were filled with such good action scenes, it felt like watching a movie. Seeing Max once more end up in a place that has meaning to him really makes me think there’s more than what we’re getting. But, those final moments with Rachel were more heartbreaking than some of his encounters in The Break Line. This book was more of a spiritual walk for Max than a mission.

Everything that happened in this book I did not expect it to happen. There so much I can’t fully talk about because of spoilers. All Fall Down can be a stand alone book on it’s own, so definitely read it, and if you want more, I also recommend The Break Line.

Playlist:

Lonely Soul by U.N.K.L.E (For France chapters, street chase)

Friction by Imagine Dragons (For Russia chapters, car chase)

What an adventure of a book! With each page turn, i imagined watching a crazy good action movie on the big screen. We follow Max McLean, a special agent in this sequel where he’s given an assignment.. only it takes a turn for the worst, and now he’s on the run after being framed. What do you do when those you trust, don’t trust you? He goes on a journey seeking answers, with many twists, and unexpected turns along the way. The good, the bad, and the mysterious. Set along a beautiful backdrop between London, France, Russia, the world building was incredibly written, sounding so beautiful in the midst of a spy mission. I enjoyed it the way I enjoyed one of my fave series that I came to love that of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole novels. If you’re a fan of Harry Hole series, you’ll love Max McLean.

First published in the UK in 2020; published by Berkley on February 2, 2021

It is the nature of espionage that things are not always as they appear. That is also the basis for many espionage novels, including All Fall Down.

Frank Knight gives Max McLean what seems to be an easy assignment. Travel to a cottage in “the wild country of Donegal” and kill “an Old IRA man” named Chappie Connor. After two days of surveillance, Max enters the cottage and pulls the trigger, only to make three discoveries: first, his victim is already dead; second, the dead man is holding a hundred-dollar bill bearing the word Archangel written in Cyrillic; and third, whoever killed Connor is now trying to kill Max. One shootout and explosion later, Max is swimming for his life.

Max doesn’t know what’s up, but he pretends to have lost the C-note while swimming. That swim and the preceding shootout is the first of many action scenes in All Fall Down. I often think that action scenes work better in movies than novels, but James Brabazon writes them with such cinematic detail that the shootouts, explosions, and chases — culminating with a shootout during a chase while riding a racehorse in the midst of explosions — are just as exciting as they would be on a big screen.

Max decides to check in with his oldest friend, Doc Levy. What he finds haunts him for the rest of the novel. When Knight calls Max in Levy’s house and tells him to run, Max barely has time to wonder how Knight knew his whereabouts before he’s engaged in the novel’s second high-action scene.

Max quickly determines that the British, the Russians, the Americans, and the Israelis all want to get their hands on the hundred-dollar bill. They’re willing to shoot up a bar and kill everyone in it (and each other) to get a chance to go through Max’s pockets.

There’s nothing for it but to investigate the provenance of the bill and the Russian word Archangel. That investigation brings him to a forger, to an information broker, and to a young math genius named Bhavneet (“Baaz”) Singh. Max has a momentary moral dilemma after he saves Baaz from the novel’s fourth or fifth shootout (this one in the Catacombs beneath Paris), only to come close to killing him before deciding that Baaz’s math skills might be useful.

Max isn’t necessarily a deep thinker, but he at least reflects (when time permits) before he kills, which elevates him above the average thriller protagonist. He spends most of the novel wondering why so many people are trying to kill him over a hundred-dollar bill, only to learn that some of the players are not who he believed them to be. In the meantime, he learns something about quantum computers and algorithms and a lot of jargon that sounded good to me, as someone who vaguely grasps the concept of anything that begins with the word “quantum” but soon gets lost in the details.

If you can believe that Max can survive an endless series of shootouts and explosions — and you need to believe that to enjoy most action novels — then All Fall Down tells a reasonably credible story. The plot twists are surprising, as befits a spy novel. The world hopping (Ireland, Paris, Israel, Russia) is interesting and the characters are developed with all the personality they need. As spy novels of the action variety go, All Fall Down offers more thrills than most.

RECOMMENDED

Max Mclean is on the run after an assassination gone wrong. A British government operative, he was authorized to kill a terrorist but someone else gets there first, leaving behind a $100 bill with the word Arkhangel written on it. Then he's on the run, trying to escape the bad guys. This takes him to Paris, Russia, Israel, and so on. He's lucky to meet Baaz, a computer whiz who spots an anomaly on the bill. I missed the first book so this was a standalone for me and I was fine with it that way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. All of this is really out there (and there are some giant plot holes) but fans of the action thriller where there are good guys, bad guys, conspiracies, and so on might find this an entertaining read. Would make a good movie.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this copy via netgalley!

Fast-paced book with lots of action! Feels like a great movie plot! A main character that you can’t help but love and hate at the same time.. Who goes to have a pint while bleeding thru their clothes! An assignment that was so easy, but ended up the hardest assignment of his life! great thriller book, would definitely read more from the author!

It was supposed to be an easy assignment, the assassination of a known terrorist. Max McLean was an assassin who worked with a secret unit for the British government. After watching the cabin and establishing the victim’s routine it was time to act. When he enters the cabin he discovers the terrorist has already been shot. In his hand is a $100 bill with the work Arkhangel written on it. Whoever killed the terrorist is still there and Max barely escapes with his life. From England to France, Israel, and finally Russia, Max chases down the significance of the bill and its’ message while dodging agents from various countries who would kill to retrieve it. In Paris Max is assisted by Baaz, a young man who made his fortune with cryptocurrencies. A genius with computers, it is Baaz who notices a discrepancy with the bill’s serial number. The bill becomes the key to an algorithm for the completion of a super computer that promises total power to the country that possesses it.

James Brabazon writes a high action tale that takes you through the streets and catacombs of Paris as Max evades Russian agents. Betrayed by someone in his own unit, he is forced to call on past contacts to provide a new identity and transportation out of France. In Israel he finds a connection to a former lover who has been doing research on computers for Russia and has now disappeared. All clues point to Russia and Max has no choice but to travel to Arkhangel, but getting out of Russia will be a challenge. The final chase will have you on the edge of your seat and looking forward to the return of Max McLean. I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this book for my review.

Max McLean is back in this second installment of the series by James Brazabon. If you are a Jason Bourne fan like myself you will find some similarities to Max McLean. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was fast paced throughout the book and delivered excellent action scenes. Brazabon is a new thriller writer on the scene and I hope to see many more in this series in the future.

A complex tale weaved with contacts that are questionable and leaves the main character always trying to figure out where he is going and who to trust.. Emotion and action are being pushed to the limits. Overall a good read.

Non-stop action, exotic locales, diverse characters and Max McLean hard as nails lead character....just what I am looking for. I really enjoy this type of story with a totally believable plot. And then we have the ending...didn't believe it could be done until it was...great finish.
Please keep Max McLean coming!