This review does not contain spoilers....unless you haven't read Rogue Team International 1: Rage. Relentless picks up only a few months after the events that ended RTI 1:Rage. If you haven't read it yet....READ IT! With that said, on to Relentless.

And this story is Relentless. It is very well written non stop action, as all of Jonathan Maberry's stories are. He never disappoints. After the Rage case came to a close Santoro strikes a massive blow to Joe Ledger. He kills Joe's entire family with a Christmas package bomb, which Joe and Junie witness sustaining their own injuries in the blast. Now Joe is physically mended and Church has decided to send him with his team, back into field work. No one is very sure about that decision.
During an infiltration mission, Joe truly goes rogue and sets out to hunt Santoro and Harcourt Boltan aka Kuga, solo.
With Joe's already fractured personality has Santroro's murderous actions pushed Joe into a mental state from which he will be unable to return?

Thank you so very much to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC of Relentless.

P.S. I will absolutely purchase an audio version of Relentless before book 3 of RTI comes out. Jonathan Maberry's writing is outstanding on its own, but Ray Porter's performances don't hurt anything. Please don't make me wait too long.

Joe Ledger is a man haunted by his past and his enemies, and now his three personalities – the Cop, the Killer, and the Modern Man – have a fourth who’s threatening to completely overshadow the others. In his grief and his rage, Joe and his best doggo Ghost walk away after an op and disappear, leaving all his friends worried and his enemies wary.

And what enemies he has. They’re evil to the core, plotting world domination by selling enhanced mercenaries to the highest bidder, not caring who gets hurt in the process. Except for Joe – him, they want dead. D.E.A.D. dead. Cue evil plotting and posturing, complete with absolutely bonkers cray-cray personalities.

Relentless is dark and more than a bit disturbing, as we witness Joe’s descent into bloodier chaos; bloodier for both him and those he’s hunting. You can’t help rooting for the guy, though. After all he’s been through, you want him to find and eradicate all the bad guys. This could be a stand-alone if you don’t have the time or inclination to read all the other Joe Ledger novels, but I’d recommend at least checking out book #1, Rage.

If you like bloody kills, caricaturishly evil villains, and lots of action, then add Relentless to your to-read pile. Let your vivid imagination transfer Maberry’s words into an action-packed flick filled with all kinds of things-that-go-boom in your mind’s eye.

drey’s rating: Pick it up!

RELENTLESS is an action-packed, high-octane read that hits the ground running and never lets up. Joe Ledger is leading an elite team, the Havoc Team, around the world as they try to track down black market weapons sales. Alongside his dog, Ghost, and the members of his team, they will face untold gadgets and weapons that threaten the safety of everyone. Still reeling from the loss of those he cared about, Joe must focus on his missions and the dangerous foes he faces.

This was a really fast-paced and thrilling read that brought every bit of action, mystery, and suspense you would expect from reading the summary. The book starts off fast, already on the hunt, and it keeps up the pace throughout. With brief, targeted sentences and concise but imaginative descriptions, this is a book that pulls the reader in and primes them for the suspense and action to follow. This was a really entertaining, dark, and high-octane read that got my heart pumping.

RELENTLESS is quite a thrill-ride, and I would highly recommend for fans of Jack Reacher, ORPHAN X, and Jack Ryan. Mercenaries, gadgets, and suspense make this a thrilling pick for action fans.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Be prepared to immerse yourself into an all consuming high-octane adventure that spans the globe. Our knight in shining armor is none other than Colonel Joe Ledger .... warrior, knight and killer .... whose sole purpose is to defend the helpless and innocent. Even if you're not familiar with Ledger's previous exploits ... this gem will. be enjoyed as a standalone. Multiple award winning writer, Maberry seamlessly adds the necessary backstory.
Ledger was previously featured on the Echo Team of DMS (Department of Miltary Sciences), which was linked to
the US government. Unfortunately he was frequently hampered by red tape and political party "politics". His boss, the infamous and enigmatic, Mr. Church has rendered DMS defunct and formed the international ultra-rapid response organization of Rogue Team International (RTI) ... freeing his missions from their previous encumbrances. Joe is the leader of the strike team, known as the Havoc team. RTI picks it's own cases and has no oversight. On their previous mission they grappled with an organization that released a "designer" pathogen into the atmosphere of a small island off the coast of North Korea. This induced an extreme state of violent madness to all the inhabitants. This bioweapon called "Rage" resulted in the complete annihilation of the island's populace. The organization behind such bioweapons continues to flourish. "Kuga" is the chief executive of this international criminal empire, that specializes in the black market sale of bioweapons , neurotoxins, and other chemical and technological enhancements to the highest bidder. He has no "politics" ... war, assassination and terrorism is "good for business". Kuga is most likely a former CIA superstar gone rogue . Harcourt Bolton is smart, rich and ruthless., and has taken the pseudonym from the Bosnian word for "plague". His right-hand man is the equally vile, Raphael Santoro. Respected as the world's most feared blackmailer, extortionist, manipulator, and murderer. On Christmas eve , last year, Santoro murdered Joe's entire family and closest friends. Needless to say, Joe wants revenge and retribution on both Kuga and Santoro. His initial assault with the Havoc team in his quest for revenge is on Mitrovic an important arm of the vast organization. His compound is a heavily guarded fortress on a small island off the coast of Croatia. He team floats in undetected and under the radar with Trade Winds Motor-Kites made of aluminum-magnesium alloy that are lighter than a lawn chair, but exceedingly stronger. Accompanying Ledger is his vaunted combat dog, Ghost. The encounter and ultimate battle is gruesome and victorious, with Ledger seemingly "loosing it" Ledger ultimately "goes rogue" with the aim of killing Kuga and Santoro on his own. Ledger's and RTI's subsequent assault takes them across the globe... from North America to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa and even Antartica.
Maberry proves to be an amazing storyteller... and weaves a complex and twisted explosive narrative that features a mutlt=dimensional fleshed out supporting cast of soldiers and warriors ... all entering the world of darkness and evil.. Maberry delivers an entertaining roller-coster ride of adventure that successfully juggles violence with a blend of motivations fostered by friendship, love and respect. This adventure is not only replete with high tech gadgets, gizmos and gear, but also a plethora of dastardly villains ... some old and some new, that undoubtedly will populate later adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com)

When I started reading this, I didn't realize it existed in a world of other books.

It was not completely necessary to enjoy the book, but it sure would have provided some insight for many incidents that were frequently cited throughout.

It was an interesting premise, modern setting with current if slightly futuristic technology and a hint of dark fantasy. There were moments that were a bit of a slog, but otherwise I found myself humming along through chapter after chapter.

Certainly worth a read, but I would definitely want to visit earlier books before reading a sequel.

Relentless by Jonathan Maberry is the second book in Rogue Team International (RTI) series featuring Joe Ledger. He is no longer with the Department of Military Sciences, but leading a team of independent troubleshooters, Havoc Team that is part of RTI. This is one of the darkest military thrillers that I have read in a long time. Suppose multiple people important to you were murdered. What would that do to your psyche which was already damaged? Read this novel and you will find out how Joe handles the situation.

While this novel focuses on Joe and his dog Ghost, Havoc Team and other colleagues play important roles that give the reader character continuity. The killers are known. The key is how to find them and that journey takes the reader to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa, Antarctica, and North America. Joe is well-developed, compelling, and damaged. His motivation is believable and well-drawn, but I had a hard time with many of his actions in this book. The secondary characters enhance the story and the relationships are believable.

Chapter one hooked me. Chapter two and beyond was so vivid and compelling I felt like I was with the characters, but grateful that I was safe in my home. The story immediately pulls the reader in and never lets him or her off the rollercoaster of action and emotion.

For an action / military thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there are comprehensive descriptions of clothing, people, places and gear involving black market weapons sales, private military contractors, cybernetics, body armor, chemical enhancements, and bioweapons, it doesn’t go into minute detail. I believe this approach will make this novel appeal to a wider audience.

Overall, this novel is a shockingly dark, disturbing, and emotional ride. Be aware that there is plenty of violence and emotional turmoil in this story. An old arch-enemy reappears as well setting up possible threads in future novels. Themes include revenge, anger, grief, murder, PTSD, greed, good versus evil, cyber terrorism, and cyber espionage as well as friendship, love, compassion, honesty, loyalty, and brotherhood/sisterhood relationships.

This is the only the third book that I have read by this author but I am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as going back and reading the original Joe Ledger series. This author’s books are well-written with characters that have depth and there is an interesting plot where the story line pulls the reader in immediately. I believe those readers that enjoy action thrillers and military thrillers that are dark will want to read this book.

St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for July 13, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Relentless is an edge of your seat, page turner. As the follow-up to Rage, readers find Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International still reeling from the past years' events. The bad guys are back with an even more diabolical plan. Can Ledger overcome his demons to bring justice to his family or will darkness swallow him? Excellent writing, pacing, characterization and all around awesomeness!

Whew. I love Joe Ledger. I love this series. But Maberry really puts Joe through the ringer in this book. So much so that it is hard to read at some points: both because of what Joe does and because of the grief and numbness that Joe experiences.

At the end of Rage, Joe experiences a devastating loss that threatens his sanity and wellbeing. Although his body heals, his mind is more fractured than ever. After having a bit of a mental breakdown during a mission, Joe goes Rogue and his three personalities (The Modern Man, The Cop and The Killer) are pushed to the background with a new personality, The Darkness, taking hold. As Joe goes down a rabbit hole, committing terrible murders and torture, the rest of RTI tries to find him while also trying to figure out what Kuga, the big bad villain, has planned next.

Kuga is boring. We know it's Harcourt Bolton and honestly I am over him (which makes his fate at the end of this even better). Mr. Sunday though is perfection - a perfectly creepy villain, and although he's not new he is as horrible as ever. It is interesting to see people scared who are usually so strong: Joe, Church, Lillith. Even Top and Bunny. There are a few things that really can throw them and Joe going rogue is one of them. The team is a mess and watching Top and Bunny continue to proceed without their leader is sad. Joe is also an absolute mess and although I enjoyed it, it was at times hard to read. Especially the scenes with Ghost.

Overall, I enjoyed this one - a few storylines wrapped up which was satisfying and there is a positive conclusion. I just again don't know where Maberry is going to go from here. Which is super exciting.

This was probably the darkest novel in the series. Initially I thought The Dragon Factory would be, then Rage came out and now this.. Wow. It was so dark in some places that I had to put the novel down and take a breather.

The novel followed RTI and Joe Ledger as they hunted down various villains. Ledger was working alone as he wasn’t interesting in following rules, he only wanted revenge. The two cases eventually merged together as they both tackled a giant evil organization (and no it wasn’t a corporation but close).

I really loved the dark path that Ledger took and how it almost consumed him. I could empthasize and understand why, after witnessing what he did. It also made the ending more meaningful as he dragged himself out to find light again. I wanted to say peace but Ledger will always be a little damaged and dark.

I wish the secondary characters would have made a stronger appearance, especially Junie. The novel definitely felt very male heavy but given the plot that was understandable. I loved Top and Bunny as their loyalty and love for Ledger really shone through in this novel, but never enough to interfere with their training as soldiers. Ghost made a bigger appearance in this novel than Rage which was great as I LOVE Ghost. He’s probably my favourite secondary character. Toys was a great addition too as I got to learn a little more about him.

I loved the plot as there was plenty of action. The new technology and scientific discoveries introduced were believable and very scary. Blackwater and Blue Diamond mercenary company make an appearance on the antagonist side which I loved. It’s nice to see real world bad companies play a role in disrupting peace.

An old nemesis made a reappearance that should please all fans. I was always on the fence about him as I found him too mythical and not really believable. This novel gave more hints about his nature and past which I thought was great. Just enough was introduced to wet my appetite without ruining any future surprises.

Overall this was an amazing thriller/action novel with great characters, great villains, and a conspiracy that has occurred before (and quite recently) so the reader could truly believe it happening again. The secondary character were a little weak but the dog sidekick makes up for it. One of the darkest novels in the series so readers be warned. As long as Maberry keeps writing Joe Ledger novels I’ll be there waiting to devour them.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin publishing, NetGalley and Jonathan Maberry for this ARC.

I've been a fan of Maberry's writing for years. Ink was an exciting adventure with equal parts action and character development, so when I saw the next installment of the Joe Ledger series was available, I quickly hit request. I was in the mood for some hard-hitting action and quickly dove in.

Following the previous book's events and a horrific secret ops mission gone astray, Joe Ledger goes rogue. As his team searches for him, they also navigate the remnants of the destruction and the impending attack of another powerful player. Now, as Joe takes matters into his own hands, wrestling his personal demons and The Darkness within, lives will collide in a battle of epic proportions.

I liked this book.

Joe Ledger is a wonderful character. I don't read military thrillers often, but I enjoy a blend of endearing and cutthroat, and Joe is a solid showing. This reminded me a lot of Strike Back, and I think readers who are looking for an eclectic group of meticulously trained specialists will love this. Sarcastic elements, comedic relief, heartbreaking insight into loss--Maberry did a good job finding the balance to make them jump off the page.

I also enjoyed the overall mission. The switch between characters every chapter kept the action moving, and if you're looking for an action-packed adventure, this will be the book for you. It's cinematic, one scene jumping to the next, and because of that, I can definitely see this translating well to the screen.

Overall, Relentless was a thrill ride of excitement, explosions, and bloody entertainment. I'd recommend to fans of Sylvester Stallone type war hero stories, military or espionage thrillers, or anyone looking for a grizzled character to fall in love with.

Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Joe and the team just keep getting better. I like that Jonathan Maberry has changed things up. I do keep hoping that zombies show up at some point.

While I absolutely love this series, this one wasn't my favorite. Let me tell you why. There have been moments in the past where it's been difficult to root for Joe Ledger as the good guy given the things he does, but it's always turned around very quickly. He is, after all, a good guy at heart who faces impossible situations. But it was challenging for me in this one, even though he is very human and Maberry gets into his head so well.

That aside, I loved the parts that take place in a bad guy training camp - totally fascinating! Maberry is great at describing the crazy new technology and training regimens that I hope will come up in future books.

As always, so excited to see where this goes next. I love this series, and the previous incarnation of it.

Thanks to the author and publisher for a free ARC of this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

This is book two of the Rogue Team International series, and kind of like book 10 of the Joe Ledger series - one of those 'cross-over' books. The reasoning behind this 'cross-over' I think is somewhat apparent in this story, and may or may not get revealed in any part of this review.

Many years ago, I had picked up the first Joe Ledger book as I was in post-apocalytic mood, and the title "Patient Zero" looked like it fit that view. Boy, was I wrong! In picking up this book through Netgalley.com, I knew what I as getting and there was no remorse. There is a bit of backflashes as the story starts, lining up the events of the big ending. Joe has gone rogue, and is untrackable to RTI, creating bloodshed and havoc where ever he winds up. But is it truly himself causing all this? And if it isn't, who, or what, is controlling him?

As usual, I enjoy a good action novel, and 'Relentless' did not fail me. I like how Mayberry included some information from past :edger novels to help cover some of the character background, and world background, in regards to not only Joe, but the team, and sort of how it came about. The events happening to Joe, the mental changes, were a bit of a twist for me. I suppose I may need to go back and actually read the series (in my near future for sure) to get the slow build-up of it all, but just based on the past information provided, the effects of PTSD (of war or personal trauma) is openly discussed - and I like that. It shouldn't be something no one should NOT discuss, especially in this type of story. I think the only part of the writing I did not like, was I felt the descriptions of guns and ammo were over-detailed. Half the detail just went straight over my head and turned me glassy-eyed.

So, will Joe be back for another story? I think Mayberry may have gotten to Joe's end story, without having to kill him. Though he might still show up in the future in minor ways. Again, enjoyed the book immensely!

#Relentless #NetGalley

My thanks, as always to St. Martin's Press, the one and only Jonathan Maberry, and Netgalley.
Big breath!! In and out!
Every time I hit the end of one of these Ledger books, I wonder where in the heck can we go from here? Maberry somehow shows up on a yearly basis and shows us. This is where we go!
I don't know how he "Maberry" does what he does. He makes me happy!
Don't get me wrong, because after the last book, I spent ALL of this book being afraid.
I didn't like this forth aspect of Joe. The Darkness! You kidding me? Dude! Joe and Ghost deserve better.
I can only say that I worried way too much! It's funny how some people who should have died are now "family!" Yes! This is me giving a shout out to Toys! Such a pest when he was an enemy. So beloved, "by me" as an ally!
Again, this was very much a good versus evil story.
It's really all I wanted, and too much to come.
I know that Maberry was gentle this time around. I'm very much afraid of who is going to die in the next battle!
I again just whimpered. Please, be gentle.

I have been a fan of Joe Ledger for a while now. This book is a great addition to his exploits. It has a good pace and I was thoroughly invested. These books are a great action/adventure, heroics, and super villians. My favorite is that the characters are sometimes perfectly aware of the pop-cultureness of their situations. I always look forward to more of Joe Ledger and Mr. Church.

I was thrilled to be able to read this ARC as I am a big fan of this series. The problem with reading so many books is that sometimes you tend to forget exactly what the situation was in a particular series until you dive back into it. It felt like I was diving into a freezing lake when I remembered exactly what happened at the end of the last book. And when I remembered, it felt like a punch in the stomach.

A lot of times people ask if a book can be read as a stand alone. Many times, even if a book is part of a series, the answer is yes. In this case, I do not think it would be possible. There were many times in this book that I was confused and I've read ALL of the books in this series. Not just the prior book - or Book 1 in the new spin off - but ALL of the Joe Ledger books. There is a TREMENDOUS amount of pain that got us to where we are now and I do not think that you can get there, to any level of understanding, without having gone on the journey along side Joe (and Ghost).

I am completely amazed with Jonathan Maberry's ability to create such a character in Joe, and such a world actually that can invoke such diverse emotions from the reader. There is anger. Anger at what has happened to Joe, what he has had to experience. And SORROW. Such immense sorrow at a loss so great that it can complete break a person and leave so little left. There is disgust. Disgust at the depravity of the human psyche and the lengths to which these AWFUL men and women go to for nothing other than greed or pride or....who knows? Honestly, who the heck knows what drives these people? And yet when all is lost, there is HOPE. Hope is what keeps me reading when I just want to stop because I know that SOMEHOW, somehow Joe is going to figure it out and he is going to fix it. Or, if fixing it is not an option, then he will do something to make it as okay as it can be. That hope is what amazes me the most. Mr. Maberry has created a character that can descend into the very bottom of hell, can completely crack into a million pieces......but a character that I never lose faith in because of who he is. Is he perfect? Absolutely not....not even close. He is as far from perfect as you can be. But, he is human....and he is Joe... and my faith has been deposited in him slowly, through each of the last 12 books. And let me tell you, I needed that faith because this book is DARK. when I say dark, I mean DARK. So, this book was a difficult journey. One of the toughest. But, I had hope......and that is what got me through. If a book can make me feel that level of emotion, it is one hell of a book.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy. All the opinions are completely my own.

Relentless, the second Rogue Team International novel and twelfth Joe Ledger book, just might be the darkest entry in this hero's long-running escapades. Given the shocking conclusion of the prior book, Rage, this probably should come as no surprise but I was still shook at just how bleak much of this book was.

Ledger has been hit hard in a bad, bad way and we find here a haunted, broken warrior desperately clinging to his last shreds of sanity as he hunts down a shadowy arms dealer, Kuga, and the highly skilled assassin Rafael Santoro. With his mind fractured, Ledger goes rogue to pursue these ruthless killers and terrorists and exact revenge. Meanwhile, RTI races to uncover the depth and scope of Kuga's plans to launch what they only know as The American Operation, a sinister plan to involves cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers.

These solders are something else, man. Imagine an entire platoon of terrorists sporting Captain America-like powers - proficient, deadly, and virtually unstoppable - and wrap them up in the suicide bomber ethos of Al-Qaeda, then put inside Ripley's power lifter from Aliens. Jeez-o-Pete! It's a potent, scary threat built on cutting edge science and ripped from the political headlines circa USA 2020. Coupled with Ledger's fragile mental state, well, did I mention yet that Relentless is dark, dark, dark?

Maberry clearly revels in making Ledger's life difficult and miserable, but his brutal sadism is a delight for readers and Relentless puts him at the absolute top of his game. I'm a bit taken aback at Maberry's ability to consistently deliver one solid blockbuster actioneer after another with the Joe Ledger series. Twelve of these suckers and not a bad one in the bunch? That's gotta be a superhuman feat all its own. An even larger feat is taking all of this book's darkness and somehow managing to give us a ray of light once all is said and done. I'll admit I was doubtful such a moment would be possible given the mental and emotional wringer Maberry puts not only Ledger but his readers through! Relentless is the kind of title that has multiple meanings and can be applied to various elements of the book, from the story's pacing and and determination of the RTI squad, right down to the author himself.