Love this book. Kept me looking for more. Would highly recommend. Looking forward to reading more from this author!!!!

THE ISLAND - Book Nine - A Dewey Andreas Novel – by Ben Coes – Fast Paced Political Thriller & Suspense

‘When the President arrives in New York to address the U.N., embedded terrorist assets blow up the bridges and tunnels that connect Manhattan to the mainland. Taking control of the island with it's hidden forces, they race to the U.N. in search of Dellenbaugh and to launch an even deadlier attack that will wreak unimaginable destruction on the country itself.’

I have had THE ISLAND on my TBR list for some time now—and of course—when I am finally able to read it, the storyline is slightly similar to real world events happening now.

Would I recommend reading THE ISLAND? Yes, if you are a fan of Political Suspense Thrillers as I am, and/or are a fan of movies like the ‘Has Fallen’ series, I highly recommend it.

Would I recommend reading it now?

That’s entirely up to you, Dear Readers. If I weren’t reading the novel for review consideration, I would have set it aside.

Perhaps, if you’re like me, purchase the book as part of the Dewey Andreas Series, and read it at a later date.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an eGalley of THE ISLAND at the request of an honest review.

I received a free copy of “The Island” through Net Galley. My thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publisher
The Island” the latest special ops thrillers by Ben Coes in his series featuring Dewey Andreas further cements his place in the top rank of writers of adventure / special ops novels.
Form the first page until the final paragraphs, there is not a moment wasted, not a word too much. It is action all the way. Mr. Coes’ plot involves a massive terrorist plot to isolate New York City by bombing the four tunnels that provide access the city, clogging the bridges crossing the rivers by having shooters targeting drivers so as to cause traffic to back up and flooding the streets with sleeper agent terrorists and snipers creating havoc . This is all with the primary target: assaulting the UN building where POTUS will be giving a speech and assassinating him. And one other thing- wrecking the US economy .

None of that is spoiler material because the thing is to enjoying how the intricate but well- thought out plot unfolds . Coes’ ability to paint word pictures of the terrorists’ fanaticism and the generation of chaos and fear of the US as it appears that the plot may succeed puts the reader on the edge of his seat. How gripping is the book, you ask? I finished the final 227 pages in one sitting.
The author writes with an economy of words. He does not overload the reader with tech talk , nor do the men fighting the bad guys have superhero abilities or stamina for the most part. Most of all, the reader does not have to struggle to suspend belief, because the terrorist “s plot is just plausible enough, especially given the rresurgence of the Taliban and Al Queda to bring war with them everywhere.
A must read for fans of the genre, and the same for all of Mr Coes’s novels.

This was my first Dewey Andreas novel but definitely won’t be my last! I loved it, as a fan of Mitch Rapp James Reece and Scot Harvath this I was right up my alley the plot was really cool and fresh feeling while still being a terrorist threat plot line the iodine sheet field and the federal reserve was something I’d never heard before, great book! The only negative I had was the abundant use of the word “fusillade” but that’s a minor gripe in an Otherwise amazing novel, I'm hooked!!

I am unable to review as I could not download the book. However I have read all of Ben Coes books and recommend him

I have read all the books in this series and was excited to get my hands on the latest one! This is an entertaining, fast paced thriller that held my attention from beginning to end. Though it's not especially deep and full of cliches, it's certainly entertaining, which is what I was looking for.

The island is Manhattan. The head of Iran’s military and intelligence services has designed a plan with multiple goals, both as a result of that country’s hatred of the US as well as retribution for the killing of one of their leaders years earlier by Dewey Andreus. The goals are to kill Dewey, kill President J. P. Dellenbaugh, and bring the Federal Reserve to a standstill thereby creating world wide financial chaos. When the attack on Dewey fails, the senior people in the intelligence services suspect that there is more to the story. And there is, in spades! A coordinated attack on New York City during United Nations week when the President is to make an important address results in pure and utter chaos. Dewey must use all of his skills to survive and bring the attack to an end against incredible odds. This is the 9th book featuring Dewey Andreas (Coes’ last book was a Rob Tacoma edition), and although he was absent for a good part of the book, It was still good to have him back as the lead character. Coes is clearly in the top echelon of thriller authors - this book was non-stop action from cover to cover. And Andreas is not perfect but is a good protagonist in the genre. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

This is the 9th in Ben Coes' military thriller series starring CIA operative Dewey Andreas.

In advance of an attack on Manhattan (planned when the US President is to give a speech at the United Nations), the terrorists try to take out the Republic's most dangerous enemy - Dewey Andreas.

Andreas ends up in a heart-stopping race against time - and across Manhattan - to rescue a badly wounded president from the Secretariat building.

It's altogether over the top, but also very exciting reading as Coes skillfully intertwines various plot threads and intriguing characters. Pure escapism!

THE ISLAND: A Dewey Andreas Novel
Ben Coes
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN-13: 978-1250140821
Hardcover
Thriller

THE ISLAND is a breath of fresh air in a summer of hot gas. Time may fly when you are having a grand time but it seems as though it was but a year or two ago that author Ben Coes introduced CIA agent Dewey Andreas to the thriller genre. It has obviously been longer than that since THE ISLAND is the ninth Andreas novel, hard as that is to believe. While those familiar with what has gone before should need no urging to pick up this latest installment, the uninitiated should feel free to jump on now, given that Coes does an excellent job of filling in the backstory where, when, and if necessary in this, the ultimate beach read for all seasons.

THE ISLAND refers to Manhattan, which contains the headquarters of the United Nations, among other things. The setup here is that United States President J.P. Dellenbaugh is scheduled to deliver a well-publicized speech before the UN General Assembly. Dellenbaugh, a plain-speaking, two-fisted fighter, is ready to deliver a stemwinder on an address to the ears of the people who need it most and want it least and is determined that nothing will prevent him from doing so. Muhammed el-Shakib, the head of Iran's military and intelligence agency, has decided that he is going to use the speech as a means of paralyzing the United States across all fronts. el-Shakib is no stranger to Andreas and accordingly moves to take him out ahead of the event in order to eliminate Andreas as a threat. He fails, of course, but is assured that Andreas will be far enough away from the action so as to not constitute a threat. Dellenbaugh travels to New York the following day and arrives at the United Nations in time to give his speech, as scheduled. Before he can begin, however, el-Shakib, at precisely that time, uses long-embedded terrorist agents to launch a series of surgical strikes to cut Manhattan off from the rest of the world and assassinate the President. The wild card, of course, is Andreas, who as it happens is off the shore of Long Island. Andreas, who has been made aware of the attack, inserts himself into the situation and begins moving steadily to Ground Zero of the attack. Rob Tacoma, who might somewhat accurately be called Andreas’s understudy, is there to lend a hand, and lend it he does. It is a good thing, too, because as the reader eventually learns, assassinating President Dellenbaugh is an important but not the primary goal of el-Shakib’s exercise. No, there is in fact a large quarrel of clocks ticking in THE ISLAND, and it is all by the munitions, fisticuffs, and stabbings which seem to be featured on every page in unforgettable and vivid prose as the story races to its conclusion.

Not everyone makes it to the conclusion of THE ISLAND, but enough of the right folks do that you will be happy you expended the time, effort, and lucre for the experience of reading it. Coes brings a clear-headed, practical, and realistic vision of how the world works to the story, which blessedly does not contain a woke checklist to be waded through before one gets to the good stuff. All thrillers should be as good as this one, which is why I highly recommend it. Coes will know what I mean when I suggest you keep an eye out for it.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thanks to NETGALLEY for the free ARC

Like the old ketchup song, after three years I was waiting for this and the plot of the 500 does pick me up sometimes it seemed we got details of the peripherals more than we did of the plot. Not as good as "Bloody Sunday" to me, but followers of Dewy 'death' will enjoy

This is the 9th book in the series and in my opinion, it is the best of them all. Coes has a wonderful imagination and creates very realistic and disturbing scenarios. It is an action-packed story with Dewey Andreas once again overcoming seemingly impossible odds to save the day.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A special thanks to Netgalley for the book. This is not a paid review.
The Island rocks! A caution though.. DO NOT start this book unless you intend on finishing. Besides being a very good thriller, this book is a cautionary tale about those who would do us harm and just how easy it would be to cause total chaos in our country.
Coes has really done an amazing job of ratcheting the tension. The first third of the book take place at a pretty sedate pace, then wham! The last 2/3rd covers just a few hours on a morning in Manhattan as Hezbollah attacks in a massive way.
The President is giving a speech at the UN and it is the perfect opportunity to take him out, but first they need to cut off the island of Manhattan. Not only that, not content with just those plans, there is also an attack on the Fed which would cripple not only the US but the worlds financial markets. It's a very ingenious plan, except for one thing. Dewey Andreas and Rob Tacoma.
Sowing even more chaos are hundreds of embedded Iranians, who, when the sign is given, go from being your friendly Uber driver or neighbors, to killing everyone in sight.
The summer's must read.
Take a trip to the island. You'll never think of New York the same.

Riveting Throughout and Pulse-Pounding...Especially In The Second Half!

I won’t spend time summarizing The Island (which I received from NetGalley and the publisher in advance to review prior to publication) other than to say itsplot involves New York City facing the deadliest terrorist attack on America’s soil since 9/11. Iran has been planning a revenge attack for years, with three goals in mind. Bring America to its knees. Assassinate the popular U.S. President J. P. Dellenbaugh. And neutralize their most successful agent, Dewey Andreas.

Instead my review will focus on why I consider The Island to be a highly exciting thriller, and why I would recommend it to you.

Like in all of Ben Coes' previous eight books featuring Dewey Andreas -- but to an even greater extent in this book, The Island — he very effectively delivers a torn-from-the-headlines plot with a very heroic, complex main character and well developed secondary characters. Further, Coes continues to pump new blood and non-stop, flat-out action into this well-worn sub-genre within the thriller category, and does so in a way that will keep you turning the pages at a very fast pace, particularly in the second half of the book.

Having said the above, I find that Coes, at times, has Andreas engaging in action that, to me, is too over the top, even for a superhero of his caliber.

Despite this minor limitation, as well as to the potential danger to those associated with Dewey, I am all ready to volunteer to go out with him on his next mission. To those of you who enjoy heavily plot and action driven thrillers in the tradition of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor, I'd recommend you give serious consideration to The Island (as well as to all eight of the other books in the Dewey series). I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

Overall, 4 1/2 stars up to 5 stars,

#The Island #NetGalley

Finally, Rob Tacoma and Dewey Andreas are back. It has been three years since we have had the pleasure of following Dewey on his kickass adventures. We left Dewey in 2018 in Bloody Sunday on a race against time and the North Korean regime and their nuclear ambitions. While Andreas has had some difficult times in his past, specifically losing his wife and son which seems like decades ago, then the loss of his fiancé some years later, he still operates with extreme dedication and fierceness. He has lived a life of service to the United States and absolutely has lost some of the most important things in his life while doing it. Maybe this is where things start to turn around for him.

An island is typically thought of with grand picturesque views, clear water, maybe even white sandy beaches, but The Island is far from that. Dewey has been sent to faraway lands, stolen nuclear weapons, even had a deadly virus inserted in him. Why would he continue to operate at the tempo that he has? The battle rages furiously while Dewey and a couple other tier one operators are pushed to their brink trying to prevent the assassination of the most important figurehead in America and preventing the greatest financial collapse of all time. Meeting a pretty lady is always a nice break from the killing and mayhem that follows this cool operator. Dewey gets the opportunity to meet this cool former MI6 intelligence agent who might be the greatest distraction he could as for, but with knowing his past he has difficult decisions to make.

Coes delivers an unbelievably dark and bloody game of survival for one of the best characters in the thriller world. The ability to showcase an authentic Dewey battling violent extremists in an all-out war zone in downtown America shows the versatility in Andreas’s talents and skills. The Island is very cinematic from page one and is a brutal roller coaster ride that deserves a shot at the big screen

The Island is the latest in the Dewey Andreas series by author Ben Coes. All of the books are stand alone, so new readers can pick this one up and enjoy it the same as fans of the series that have read them all.

Ben Coes writes action scenes as well as anyone in the business, and The Island is a prime example of this. The book is almost one gigantic action scene. Once the action starts, it is relentless, keep you on the edge of your seat, can't put down, pulse pounding action. In my mind this book is a strong candidate for Best Thriller of the Year honors. It is absolutely fantastic.

Book Review – The Island – Ben Coes
I always get excited when author Ben Coes releases a new Dewey Andreas book. Andreas is such a great character and you can’t help but to like him. He’s a ‘man’s man’ with a heart of gold and is nothing but a pure fighting machine. I was extremely ‘stoked’ when I received both an autographed Advance Reader’s Copy of “The Island” from Coes himself, and then an electronic ebook copy from NetGalley. And what a treat! Each of Coes’ books keeps getting better than the last. This is definitely the best one yet! Coes continues to pump new blood and non-stop, flat-out, full speed ahead ‘sizzling’ action into each of his novels. And he does it in a way that keeps the reader engaged and thrilled throughout the entire story. The Island is fast-paced, violently bloody, humorous and brilliantly crafted. Coes knows how to suck the reader into the plot, grab their undivided attention and then captivates them until the very end. After setting up the plot, Coes turns the rest of the book into one battle scene after another as Hezbollah ‘terrorizes’ Manhattan, New York. The storyline is unique and different but is scary too. It was so well researched and written, the reality of its possibility is extremely frighting. It went beyond the typical anti-terror shoot-em-up to a ‘realistic’ robust cyber-terrorism story that could very well happen. The story was so creative, it seemed real! But the one thing I question Coes on is, what was he thinking by writing that only three Iranian assassins were sent to take out Dewey Andreas?! Those overconfident fools didn’t stand a chance! Coes also did a great job of weaving in the different characters into the story with seamless transitions. I’m still hoping for a Rob Tacoma #2 to follow up from “The Russian” novel. The Island story was stunningly good, and again, I believe this to be Ben Coes’ best one yet. I can imagine it as an action movie. Overall, it is an excellent addition to the Dewey Andrea series. Thank you for the ARCs Ben Coes, NetGalley and publisher, St. Martin’s Press.

This one is really for fans of the series. Dewey Andreas is going to save the US from the forces of evil no matter what in this novel which starts with an attack against the New York by Iran. Among other things, the President is, implausibly, the sole survivor (or is he) of a missile strike agains the UN. OH and there are actual Iranian soldiers and sleeper agents who are killing and wreaking havoc. Then there's the financial system. Andreas, however is there to stop the madness. It's completely implausible (hopefully) but page turning if you can get past some of the groaners. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A rare pass from me.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ben Coes, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Whenever Ben Coes decides to publish something, fans of political thrillers should take notice. Coes is able to mix wonderful political backstories with intense strategic fighting in novels that show just how important agents of the CIA can be in the protection of America. In this latest from the Dewey Andreas series, it would appear that the Republic of Iran has been working with Hezbollah to strike terror into the hearts of Americans with a plot like no other. Before doing so, someone will have it remove Andreas from the equation. While this is undertaken, it’s a close call, but nothing will deter Hezbollah from their plan. Targeting the sitting US president, they set their sights on Manhattan, as the UN General Assembly is expecting the Leader of the Free World to speak. What follows is a harrowing tale that pushes Andreas to act swiftly, trying to save America from what could be its worst attack yet. Sensational writing in a series that keeps getting better.

Dewey Andreas is a man who is known around the world for his protection of America. A CIA operative, Andreas has foiled plots hatched by some of the world’s most ruthless countries and assassinated many who needed to die. However, with this fame comes a large target on his back, something the leadership within the Republic of Iran wish to highlight. While working with Hezbollah the Iranians concoct a plan to bring America to its knees and see Dewey Andreas dead, but it will take precise planning for it to work.

While Andreas is targeted, he narrowly escapes and agrees to a unique bit of R&R with a woman he is getting to know. While he’s resting up, all eyes are on New York City, where US President Dellenbaugh is set to address the UN General Assembly. As POTUS makes his way there, hundreds of Hezbollah fighters are strategically positioned to take out all access to Manhattan when they explode massive bombs in each of the found tunnels connecting it to the rest of the city.

As Dellenbaugh is inside the UN, additional forces storm ther building, leaving many dead as they push to reach the Great Satan. Dellenbaugh, a past sports star, wants to defend himself, but soon discovers that these are men on a mission, willing to die for their cause. As the game of cat and mouse commences, many scramble to find safety amidst all the chaos.

Dewey Andreas and a few of his fellow agents are called into duty, as the true nature of the attack becomes clearer. It will take strategy and patience to locate POTUS and ensure his safety, all while killing those who seek to bring America down. Andreas always puts country before anything else, so it will take little to convince him. However, with Dellenbaugh severely injured, this might be too little too late. All the while, something’s up with the Federal Reserve!

There’s nothing that compares to the work of Ben Coes, particularly when he is on his game. This is the ninth novel in the series, which has not lost any of its intensity or intrigue. Dewey Andreas is in fine form and shows why he is a key character in the genre, happy to help his country in whatever way possible. Adding some intense political drama and a secondary plot to keep the reader enthralled, Coes shows why he belongs with other household names in the thriller genre.

Those who have followed the series will know that Dewey Andreas has a hard shell that is all but impossible to penetrate. However, once you do, there is much depth to the man. His rough exterior is a front, but also a means of keeping his focussed on the task at hand, usually protecting the country and its institutions. Andreas shows why he is a stellar part of the CIA, with some great character development and a few threads left untied for future novels.

The cast of secondary characters is, as usual, top notch and shows that Ben Coes is always thinking. There are a number of individuals who have been along for the ride throughout the series, as well as some one-offs, all of whom add depth and flavour to the story. The intensity of the piece is furthered by the development of these men and women on both sides of the good/evil divide, which keeps the reader flipping pages just to discover what adventures await them.

As with many of the past novels, this is a highly addictive story that keeps moving without hesitation. The narrative flows well, told primarily in a single day, and keeps the reader wanting more. The multi-faceted plot is perfect for the book and makes the story come to life. Short chapters are timestamped to show the minute-by-minute progression of the action, which only makes the reader want to read more to discover what’s to come. I could not pull myself away from this book, bingeing it whenever I could. This is surely one of the best in the series and treats a threat to the US as something plausible with many moving parts. Series fans will not be disappointed, though those who are not well-versed on Dewey Andreas really ought to start at the beginning in order to capture many of the nuances.

Kudos, Mr. Coes, for a stellar piece of writing. You’ve made a fan out of me long ago and I hope others can echo my sentiments.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I am having a difficult time reviewing this book. Since I have never read anything else written by Ben Coes, I had no preconceived notions about how this book and its characters should be written.

I like thrillers with kick-butt heroes, and yes, with this book, I did get a thriller, but the author seems to have forgotten the 'kick-butt hero' until the end of the book.

I have never read a book that affected me in this manner - it was written so effectively that I actually found myself hating a nation of people that I have no business hating. I found myself debating the eternal question, 'what would I do'?

This was one of the most graphic novels I have ever read. It was a fast read with many very short chapters. It was bloody and cruel and evil. I couldn't take my eyes off it. I can imagine this book as a movie.

The romance, well, we could have done without it. It just seemed to be filler. Totally wasted pages.

So here I remain, not sure whether to recommend this book highly or to say run far from this book as it will leave you questioning your morals and empathy.

I recommend this book to those that have a high tolerance to anything anti-American, who can read about horrors that are so cruel and left so many dead and injured, who have an imagination for the fictional parts of the book, and have a high tolerance to repetition.

Flipping amazing and brilliantly executed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m rather new to the Coes following and one of the first things I noticed about this book is that it is part of a series. However, that did not stop me. I am very familiar with reading espionage-based novels and I assumed I could get with the flow pretty quickly. I was not wrong and thrilled that I dived into the story.

The Island is epic!

Coes keeps us on the edge of our seat throughout most of this book. If you stop and think about it, it’s a bit scary in the reality of it all. This could possibly happen in our country, God forbid. But, as an all great thrillers, you have to have a fabulous ending.

This novel is fast-paced, bloody, gory, and brilliantly crafted. You get completely sucked into the plot as Coes grabs your attention and never lets it go.

I could go on and on about the virtues of The Island, the brilliant story telling, and imagination the author brings to us. But I’ll save you from all of that. For me, it was a gripping novel, with high tension and energy. I especially enjoyed the fact that it is mainly based on US soil so everything was very familiar. I need more!