Book #1 in the new Mason Hackett series. Hackett has a multi layered background as a US Marine who put the military behind him after an encounter turned bad in Iraq. Having received a message from a man he saw die, Hackett will now travel iinto enemy territory and back in time to find the truth behind what he considers the worst time of his life. Adam Sikes generates several story arcs in this debut to keep the series interesting and readers coming back for more.

I found it very standard for its genre, nothing special, good story, good speed, but just another International thriller set right before Russia invaded Ukraine

(I apologize for the late review, I lost my password to NetGalley)

So much action! Wow was I invested the whole time.it was unique thriller, it was like watching a movie that you couldn’t take your eyes off of. If you like military action thriller, this one is for you. Get out of your comfort zone like I did and read it.

This was an interesting read by an author that I was not familiar with having never read their work before. I always enjoy a new to me author and I wasn’t disappointed.
I found the characters interesting and really had a depth to them with lots of details described for me to portray them in my mind and really get inside them.
The story line took me to a place I wasn’t expecting and kept me intrigued right until the end.
I would recommend to anyone interested in this genre and will be reading more.

This book was interesting. It had a lot of suspense and a likeable main character. I really enjoyed this fast-paced espionage thriller. I liked the main character, Mason Hackett and his sense of loyalty and determination. The plot of this thriller kept me turning the pages, but as in most thrillers of this type some suspension of belief must be applied and this story had almost everyone being killed along the journey except for our hero. The characters are believable, but hopefully as the series continues, they will become more fully fleshed.

Mason Hackett is an American living in England and employed as an investment banker by Ruttfield & Leason who handles corporate accounts for international defense firms.. He interfaces with government officials as well as paramilitary power brokers in war torn areas of the world where other bankers won’t go. As an ex- Marine, he is familiar with those parts of the world.

A breaking news story on television about a journalist kidnapped on the Ukrainian-Russian border identified as Henry Delgado captures Hackett’s attention when the photo shows him to be Kevin Gomez, a man who was Hackett’s best friend in the Marines and who he knows to now be dead. And so begins an exciting and compelling story of espionage.

A journalist kidnapped in Ukraine. An ex marine working in finance. A connection as the ex Marine recognises the journalist as someone who died 15 years ago. An email arrives and Mason is taken on a mission to rescue his friend. Who to trust and with the clock.ticking can he find him.

LANDSLIDE (A Mason Hackett Espionage Thriller Book #1) by Adam Sikes is the first book in an exciting new espionage thriller series featuring a US Marine veteran living in London. This is the author’s debut novel, and I am looking forward to many more stories featuring this protagonist.

Mason Hackett is a US Marine veteran who left the states fifteen years ago to get his master’s degree in England and is working as an international banker in London. Mason sees the face of his dead best friend from his unit in Iraq on the television. He believes it just may be a doppelganger because this kidnapped man is a reporter, but then Mason gets a cryptic email that can only be from his friend asking for his help.

Mason discovers his friend has been involved in a CIA operation and has been captures by separatist in Ukraine. Mason is thrown into a morass of covert operations, arms dealers, international corporations, and war with no back-up, and no one can be trusted.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced espionage thriller. I liked the main character, Mason Hackett and his sense of loyalty and determination. The plot of this thriller kept me turning the pages, but as in most thrillers of this type some suspension of belief must be applied and this story had almost everyone being killed along the journey except for our hero. The characters are believable, but hopefully as the series continues, they will become more fully fleshed.

Overall, this is a new thriller and author worth taking the time to read.

This is an action packed novel and a fine debut effort. Readers are taken into the dangerous world of arms trafficking, centering in Ukraine. While this novel takes place prior to the invasion, it gives good insight into the tension at the border. Some of the characters are from previous Soviet countries and we see how they feel about possible aggression.

Mason is a capable hero. Though working for an investment company now, he had military experience. His adventures draw lots of bullets his direction. The body count is high as those opposing Mason have no qualms killing people. During one fire fight, Mason is amazed to find he is still alive. I was too. That Mason was willing to endanger his life for his friend is amazing, showing the loyalty forged on the battlefield.

The plot is complex with quite a bit of explanation at the end. There is loads of suspense, devastating betrayal and people who aren't who they say. It gives a clear picture of the horrible deeds some will do for power and money. And Mason is right in the middle of it all.

I hope this is just the first in a series. I'd like to see where the powers that be might send him next.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Fast paced, current, and lots of twists in this one, Adam Sikes, former Marine and CIA operative, utilizes his personal experience to maximum efficiency in this thrilling debut. Landslide is a fantastic start to what is hopefully a long running series. Mason Hackett is a great protagonist that can compete with any of the big names in the genre.

Landslide by Adam Sikes
A Mason Hackett Espionage Thriller #1

Excellent debut novel by an author that has a bright future – I am sure that as more books are written they will get even better.

What I Liked
* Mason – banker, businessman, trouble shooter, travels to difficult locations to meet with shady characters, ex-Marine, has survivor’s guilt and PTSD, trust issues, closed off, provds to be more than I first expected
* Delgado – Mason’s friend and colleague in the marines, has a hold on Mason, plays a big part in this story
* The plot, pacing, writing and international setting
* The intrigue and international travel
* The fast-paced rollercoaster ride provided
* That the story is pertinent to current world events
* That I easily visualized the story as it was
* The direction the story is moving
* That there will be another book in the series

What I Didn’t Like
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The twists and turns along with surprises that kept me guessing
* The loss of life that occurred reminding me of war and the evil it truly is

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Mason Hackett is a banker working for a boutique financial investment firm.

BBC displays missing AP journalist Henry Delgado on screen; Henry is being held outside Mariupol in SE Ukraine. Hackett instantly recognises the face but the name is wrong. He can’t forget the image of his best friend, Kevin Gomez, dying 15 years ago on the battlefield when they were in the marines in Iraq.

Back in the office, Hackett receives an email asking for help. Only Kevin Gomez called him "Brother Hackett" but he is dead.

A thrilling action packed mystery page-turner that gripped me to the sensational end.

Landslide is author Sikes’s debut novel and the start of a series involving U.S. Marine veteran Mason Hackett. After being deployed in Iraq and losing his best friend in a disastrous military maneuver, he moves to London, goes to business school, and tries to start his life over. His PTSD and survivor’s guilt, though, get in the way of his full recovery and any potential relationships. When Mason sees the image of his long-dead best friend on TV, he seeks the truth about his friend’s death and ends up involved in a journey into eastern Ukraine.

Though Sikes previously worked for the CIA, oddly, his protagonist is not trained in spy techniques. However, Mason is not entirely naive: he has a good sense of self-preservation gained from his tenure in the military. He is honorable, willing to sacrifice his life to rescue his friend. Though touted as good for those readers who like Daniel Silva and Brad Thor, this book, lacks the sophistication of a Daniel Silva novel. The writing style, with its short chapters and tense prose, are consistent more consistent with Brad Thor than Daniel Silva. I like the novel’s premise: one man’s mission to save a friend against impossible odds. The locations seem authentic. Not all the supporting characters are well-developed, but Alex had dimension, and Ike has the potential to be a recurring character.

So, I started reading this and I wasn’t quite sure it was my cup of tea. It grew on me pretty fast. A mild-manner banker is just living his life when he sees a news story about a journalist kidnapped in Ukraine. The only problem is that the “journalist” is someone he saw die in the war. And he had a different name. So Mason Hackett sets off to keep a promise. I have to say that I was often reminded of the Joe Ledger series as I read. I had to look up a lot of military stuff and check where certain regions of Ukraine were located (unfortunately, I knew more of them than I wish I had to know). Mason lacked the dry humor of Joe Ledger. Joe light. Still, he grew on me and I am really hoping the next book is just as good. But can we have more than 2 female characters who get a few pages each? Small complaint, but come on.

Landslide by Adam Sikes.
U.S. Marine veteran Mason Hackett moved to London to start his life over, and he’s done his best to convince himself that what happened fifteen years ago doesn’t matter—the people he killed, the men he lost, the lives he ruined. But when Mason sees the face of a dead friend flash on a television screen and then receives a mysterious email referencing a CIA operation gone bad, he can no longer ignore his inner demons.
A really good read. Great story. 4*.

While discussing with a German ministry official, Mason Hacket, an ex-marine who has recycled himself as a banker, sees the news of the kidnapping of an American journalist in Dombask, Ukraine, by unspecified forces running on the TV. The only problem is that this journalist has the exact and identical face of one of his comrades-in-arms and dear friend who died many years before. This is the starting point for an adrenalin-fuelled affair, which crosses endless borders and leaves behind an inexhaustible trail of corpses, ending up in a daring way in one of the most dangerous areas of the world (as recent events prove). The narrative is appreciable, even if there is some repetitiveness in the continuous self-flagellation of the protagonist, and some of the motivations of the villains, while plausible, are poorly articulated and generic, although I admit that researching in certain environments is anything but easy. Inevitable the hook for an upcoming second episode.

The setup of the book has too many holes in it for me, making it hard for me to take the action seriously. People who can just relax into a thriller will find this book more satisfying than I did.

This is a great debut espionage novel from a former CIA operative. Great characters and non stop action set within contemporary world conflicts. At one point the main characters exasperatedly asks, "What is this a Tom Clancy novel?" and the answer is yes, pretty much. It was a fast read that kept me reading late into the night. Highly recommended

Landslide is an exciting contemporary action thriller by a debut author who previously worked for the CIA. I was invited to read it by the publisher, and liked the premise of a one-man mission to rescue a friend against impossible odds in war-torn Ukraine. It feels like the book may have predated the current conflict but has been updated to incorporate the current situation.

Mason Hackett is a former US Marine with a bad case of survivor guilt, who works for a London investment firm, and has just split up with his girlfriend because he feels he’s too damaged. When he catches a TV report about a journalist kidnapped in disputed Ukrainian territory, he is stunned to recognise the face of his best friend - only how can it be when he watched Kevin Gomez die in Afghanistan fifteen years earlier? Then he receives an email from Gomez invoking a vow they made back in the desert - if one needed help, the other would do anything he could, and so begins Hackett’s quest…

This was a fast-paced fluidly written military adventure starring a conflicted but honourable hero. I enjoyed the first person past narrative style - with occasional third person chapters showing events happening elsewhere. The author states in the foreword that he based the story on episodes from his former career - but that the book was vetted to ensure no state secrets were revealed! With any thriller of this kind, you have to suspend disbelief if you want a suspenseful plot - yes there were too many coincidences and Hackett is knocked out too many times to realistically be able to function let alone shoot. He is also improbably lucky every time something goes wrong, but isn’t this what you expect from this genre?

There were some good support characters - my favourite, despite being under used, was Ike, an Alfred Pennyworth-like Englishman - I hope he will feature more prominently in the sequel - there has to be one, surely, after that ending. Don’t worry, it’s not a cliffhanger, but things are definitely left open for further escapades and I’d put my hand up to read about them. Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview for the ARC.
Landslide is published on September 20th.

Landslide is a well-written story about espionage, secrets, and the entanglement of business with government agencies to promote shared values and goals. The plot is well put together and explored, and the characters become denser and even more interesting as the story continues. Hopefully, there will be a new book with the same theme/characters soon!
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.