I enjoyed the first book Steel Fear and was hoping to like this one just as much. It turns out that Cold Fear was even better! Finn is an interesting character who solves crimes that happen to cross his path while trying to get to the truth behind a violent occurrence in his past. Hopefully, there will be a third book that answers more questions about Finn. I'll be waiting!

Book Review: Cold Fear (Finn Thrillers #2) by Brandon Webb, John David Mann
Published by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam, June 7, 2022

★★★★☆ (4.0 Stars)
Positive!

From the bowels of a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to the belly of a cybercurrency mining beast...

Reykjavík, Iceland.

In pursuit of answers to events at Al-Mukallā, Yemen which ultimately led to his dishonorable discharge ("Steel Fear", Book 1, 2021), Ex-Navy SEAL Chief Warrant Officer Finn finds himself in Iceland and gets entangle with former SEAL teammates, the evil incarnate of an assassin, a relentless detective of the Lögreglan, the Icelandic national police, and a cryptocurrency magnate.

The books centers on thriller venue Iceland, which, following a 2008-2011 financial crisis, developed into a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining center, with the energy-intensive enterprise attracted by the island-nation's low cost of power as state-owned Landsvirkjun and others generate nearly 100% of the island's electricity requirements using geothermal and hydroelectric sources, rather than fossil fuels. (Thanks to the book, new and welcome knowledge to this reviewer.)

Once again - though with a few loose ends, and simply not as compelling as Book 1's murder mystery /military suspense thriller dished out with incredibly detailed, insider knowledge of the "Abe", USS Abraham Lincoln, the Webb /Mann author partnership delivers a well-researched suspense thriller beyond the typical fare.

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam, and NetGalley.

5 Stars for Cold Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann. I really liked Steel Fear, the first in this series featuring Navy Seal Captain Finn who is trying to find out how his last mission went so very wrong. But Cold Fear is even better! The story picks up soon after Steel Fear ends, with Finn on the run and searching for the truth. His search takes him to Iceland where some former team members are on a mission. Before he can extract any information from them, Finn finds himself suspected in the death of a young woman. A subsequent crime spree has the very intuitive lead detective looking for Finn. And she's not the only one! Also, Iceland's weather isn't the only cold in this book. Snipers, assassins, corrupt politicians and cover ups put a chill in this storyline which had me holding my breath at every turn. The more I get to know Finn, the more I like him! And, as in Steel Fear, there are redeeming characters to root for here as well. I hope to see them again in future books! If you're a fan of Jack Reacher or The Gray Man this is another series to add to your collection. Subsequent books will be a must read for me.

I received a free electronic lARC on this novel from Netgalley, authors Brandon Webb and John David Mann, and publisher, Bantam. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Cold Fear of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Webb and Mann to friends and family. They write a fine mystery.

This was my first exploration of this second of the Finn Thriller series by Webb and Mann, and it is a stand-alone book that I enjoyed, but I will want to explore the remainder of this intriguing series. We are in Reykjavik, Iceland with Finn, an ex-navy Seal seeking three other ex-Navy Seals who have turned to the dark side. Upon his arrival, he is enmeshed in the investigation of the death of a local girl, found under the ice beyond the heated duck pond on the river downtown. Many think this was suicide, but there are plenty crying 'murder'. Finn isn't sure this death ties into his problem, but finding the dark-side Seals doesn't get in the way of investigating the death of this young lady. And we travel over the town and into the wildness of Iceland, detailed enough to give you a chill. This was an excellent introduction to the land of fire and ice. And an excellent who-done-it.

Finn is a disgraced former Navy Seal who is on the run, wanted for horrible war crimes. Finn's memory is faulty, traumatic events have caused his mind to block out happenings from his youth and from the day atrocities were committed in Yemen. He knows that at least one corrupt Seal is after him and Finn is after some of the corrupt Seals who committed the crimes for which he's being blamed. You don't have to read the first book in this series to enjoy this one but doing so will give you a better understanding of Finn, his memory problems, and how parts of the Yemen incident are slowly coming back to him. Things happening now are triggering a return of some of his memories of just how deep the corruption among the Seals runs.

Finn is an amazing man. He's small, odd looking, about the last person you would think could perform all the rigorous feats required to become a Navy Seal. But Finn's mind, intelligence, and heart have driven Finn to get the most out of his body. When he's not being hampered by PTSD flashbacks, Finn can't be beat. He thinks he knows his enemy, the man chasing him, and he knows he is in danger. He also knows the men he is chasing and it's their weaknesses that he will use against them.

I don't always enjoy military thrillers but I've enjoyed the books in this series. Finn is a character that I want to follow and want to understand better. Also, the side characters are interesting and I hope to see one or two of them again in another book. But I know not to get too attached to anyone who comes in contact with Finn because the dangerous people that surround him will stop at nothing and no one is safe.

Finn’s arrival in Iceland’s Reykjavic, was fraught with difficulties. On the run, in disgrace, Navy SEAL Finn was in search of answers to a long buried, unable to be retrieved, memory of a night in Yemen, and what had happened to his friend and mentor, Lieutenant Kennedy. But the same night Finn arrived in Reykjavic, a young woman drowned in a nearby, mostly frozen, lake. And Finn saw her before her death, although he was unaware at the time. When the local detective tracked Finn down, he was stunned. If she could track him, so could others. Had he lost his ability to blend in?

Finn’s discovery of three team members who were also in town, plus a brutal assassin who no one wanted to deal with, had him wondering whether they’d all followed him. And when brutal murders began to occur in the peaceful and basically crime-free city, the police force went on high alert, with the lead detective mostly flying solo, determined to find answers to the death of the young girl, as well as the other killings. But was she one step ahead of Finn, or was he one step ahead of her? And was the elderly employer of the young, drowned girl somehow involved?

Cold Fear is the 2nd in the Finn Thrillers by combat-decorated Navy SEAL Brandon Webb and award-winning author John David Mann, and I quite enjoyed it. Steel Fear, the first in the series, introduced us to Finn, and I thoroughly enjoyed that one – this one not quite as much. Fast paced, chilling (in more ways than one), and brutal, I was shocked at the outcome – hadn’t seen it coming! I definitely recommend it to fans of the genre and look forward to checking out #3 when it’s available.

With thanks to NetGalley and Kathleen Quinlan, Random House, Ballentine for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Disgraced Navy SEAL Finn left the USS Abraham Lincoln, and is wanted for questioning in connection to war crimes committed in Yemen. His memory of that night is missing, and avenues so far in looking into the truth have come up empty. When Finn learns that three members of his former team are in Iceland, he goes to track them down. Unfortunately, a local detective suspects Finn’s involvement in a young woman drowning, and SEAL-turned-contract-killer is hired to make sure he never gets the answers he’s looking for.

This is the second of the Finn mysteries, following "Steel Fear." Finn has no time for social niceties and is single-minded in his pursuit of the truth. This earns him no friends, though he thinks he doesn't need any. He wants the truth of what happened in his missing time, but no one wants the truth brought to light. The higher-ups are more than happy to let him take the blame and kill him to cover it up. Finn has no idea what his former teammates are up to and doesn't care, and isn't sure why he's drawn to the drowned woman. Even though the detective suspects him due to chance, his involvement does help to point her in the right direction, especially when the former SEAL Boone arrives intending to kill Finn.

The entire novel is an elaborate cat and mouse game, with coincidentally intersecting threads that come through at the end. The short chapters and quick action scenes keep the story flowing and interest high. Flashes of characters and the relationships they have are just teased enough to keep us interested to know what happens next. We know what Finn is after, and the inevitable showdowns are well done. New information is gleaned, and more fragments of memory surface. It isn't enough for us to know the full story yet, but each book brings us closer.

After the events of Steel Fear, a convoluted thriller set on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, we catch up with our SEAL hero-on-the-run Finn halfway across the planet in, of all places, Iceland. This book feels more straightforward than Steel Fear, possibly because it benefits from the familiarity of taking place on land. The dramatic first chapter, involving a young woman desperately running from her pursuers straight to a frozen lake, initially made me vaguely think that I might have already read the book. Nope, the scene just happens to recall the opening of the most recent James Bond film; pursuit into Nordic ice is evidently having a moment. The rest of this suspenseful novel also feels very much of its time, with the authors expertly anticipating current geopolitical maneuvering. Fans of Steel Fear will be pleased to see that Finn is still taking out bad guys and generally being excellent action-hero material while struggling with his own past. I did wish there had been more of Finn's compulsive drawing and perfect visual recall that were so important to the earlier book. It’s always more satisfying when a beat-em-up action hero has a nonstandard special skill.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for a digital advance review copy.

The perfect book to kick-off your summer reading season.

The novel begins with an incognito and AWOL Navy SEAL team Chief Petty Officer named Finn, casing out the city of Reykjavik, Iceland, at Christmas time—where he’s on his own—trying to track down three rogue SEALs. They’re former teammates . . . who are themselves on an assassination mission . . . in order to find out just why they killed an innocent family of unarmed villagers in Yemen, and if he had a hand in it, because Finn has had PTSD blackouts ever since the mission and can’t remember anything but flashes of lightning, followed by utter darkness. But as he’s reconnoitering, in the first of two back stories, a barefoot woman runs down the other side of the street and disappears. Unbeknownst to Finn, she disrobes, writes something on her torso with lipstick, then drowns herself in the pond at the center of the city, where a section is heated and kept open all winter for the resident ducks to swim in. Then, in the second back story, a fifth renegade SEAL, a sadistic, stone cold killer and sociopath, comes to town with orders from someone “way higher up the food chain,” to kill Finn. Thereafter, the action, the brutal murders, the twists, the ninety degree turns, and the clues keep coming non-stop, as Finn fights to outwit the highly skilled assassin on his tail, and stay alive long enough to figure out what happened at the mysterious Yemen massacre. And, oh yeah, at the same time, he drops clues to help a Reykjavik police detective named Krista Kristjánsdóttir solve the mystery of the ‘Little Mermaid,’ as the dead woman in the pond is called by the news media. This novel is a complex, electrifying, suspenseful, and dynamic thriller that has more bad-assery than Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne put together. It’ll keep you enthralled, guessing and entertained, right down to the last harrowing and nail-biting page!!!

In Cold Fear, we again meet disgraced former Navy Seal, Finn. He is now in Iceland, trying to track down three members of his former team that had gone rogue. At the same time of his arrival, we meet a young woman desperately running towards the lake and after writing something on her stomach, dives into the cold freezing water. Now the local police want to question Finn concerning the suicide of a young woman. Add another mysterious figure lurking in the shadows, and the action is nonstop.

I really enjoyed the first book, Steel Fear, and Finn was an incredible character. Now, Webb & Mann add another great cast of characters as a new mystery is being played out. We meet formidable and driven, police detective, Krista Kristjansdottir. We also meet, Boone, a former Navy Seal and a true psychopath hunting, it seems for the very men that Finn is.

The atmospheric read begins with a bang, and the wild, tension filled ride continues until the last paragraph. Wonderfully written, with a few twists to keep the reader guessing with a satisfying conclusion.

This is a very technical book. It draws you in but you have to pay attention to keep up. Finn is a Navy Seal with a problem. He has amnesia from an incident that has seen him losing his job. He travels to Iceland to investigate and gets caught up in what could be even more trouble. It becomes a cat and mouse game as he uses his training and skill to solve the problem and stay ahead of his pursuers.

Super freak! Oh, how did I not see it coming?! 😮

"Cold Fear" is book #2 in The Finn Thrillers series and what an electrifying follow-up it was! In the first novel, "Steel Fear", we're introduced to a Chief Finn, a Navy SEAL who was sent back to the US on USS Abraham Lincoln for a botched operation in Yemen. We don't know how it went down in the farmhouse only that it ended up in a bloodbath and neither does Finn.

Finn's memory of that fateful night was foggy at best. He needs answers and tracks down three of his former team to Reykjavík, Iceland. At the same time, a man was sent to take out Finn. I enjoy this deadly cat and mouse as the story unfolds and appreciate Iceland's history and the city tour in the midst of mayhem.

Not only was Finn wanted by the Americans, but a Reykjavík detective also wants to question and arrest Finn when a woman was found drowned in the frozen pond on Christmas Eve. Finn is their only lead as he was the sole person nearby and was captured on CCTV.

This book. THIS BOOK! Okay, I was a bit confused at the beginning with many players, and the story started out as if it's a crime mystery. But make no mistake this is an edge of your seat action-filled military thriller that's very different from Carr, Greaney, or Thor. Absolutely read it! 4.5⭐

Cold Fear is the new book from the writing team of Brandon Webb and John David Mann.

"Finn, a former SEAl has snuck off the aircraft carrier where he rooted out a serial killer. He's in Iceland looking for answers about what happened in Mukalla. His mind has blanked out any memories of that night. He's looking for three former SEALs who were there and can tell him who was responsible for getting his best-friend killed. A young girl drowns under the ice and Finn gets caught up in finding out what really happened - while avoiding detection by the killer sent to take him out."

Lots of action in this story from Webb and Mann. They do an excellent job weaving the two storylines together - Finn's flashbacks and the girl in the ice - not really connected but Finn makes it so. Finn's mental state is precarious and you're never really sure what's real and what's a false memory.
Boone is a bad guy that is scary. If you're fond of reading psychopathic characters you'll love Boone. He has a special necklace that will chill you.

Another excellent, fast-paced narrative from Webb and Mann. Any fans of action/suspense/crime fiction will enjoy this one, especially with the setting in Iceland.

The writing team of Webb and Mann bring us the next exciting installment in their Finn series. This time Finn is in Iceland as the year comes to a close. He's on the trail of three men whom he believes have information about what really happened in Yemen. It soon becomes apparent that he is being pursued as well by a deranged killer. Meanwhile, he gets tangled up in the investigation of an apparent suicide death of a young woman on Christmas Eve.

The story is well-plotted, suspenseful and action-packed. It was interesting spending some time reading about Iceland, its landscape, history and people, and the country's troubled relationship with America.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honesty review. Many thanks for the opportunity to read more of Finn's adventures.

Finn, the Navy SEAL character from the novel, Steel Fear, is back! In this suspenseful new tale, Finn is still running from the past and trying to figure out what really happened in Yemen.

Finn's memory won't allow him to completely see the events in Yemen. He is still seeking answers and has come to Iceland to track down some members of his team. What he doesn't know is that an assassin is also tracking him and has followed him to Iceland.

Finn becomes a suspect when a young woman is found frozen in ice. The local police department, and a detective named Krista, is keeping an eye on him as well. Will Finn find the answers he needs?

This novel was suspenseful and the element of mystery was perfect. It works as both a thriller and a mystery/suspense novel. Finn was introduced in the first novel, Steel Fear, and readers will remember how skilled he is at combat and other skills. He has to put all those skills to work in this new tale.

The characterization in the story is well-done. The author provides just enough details so the reader can see into what makes Finn tick, but also provides plenty of mystery surrounding his background and the previous events that he can't remember. His skills are demonstrated throughout the novel by his actions and the reactions of other characters to him. The detective is also given good character development, as is the assassin.

I loved the way Finn used the resources at hand so creatively and was able to stay hidden and keep his presence unknown to the people he was following. He is incredibly resourceful and observant.

The story is compelling and keeps the reader riveted to the page. The setting is beautiful and the authors even throw in some Icelandic words for the reader to learn. (There is a dictionary at the back with translations.) Authors Brandon Webb and John David Mann have done it again. This one is also five stars!

4.25 military thriller stars

This is a genre that I don’t read often, but I enjoyed the first one in the series so reading the next one was an easy choice! I wouldn’t say you have to read the first one, but it does give you more insight into the character.

We first met Finn when he was on the USS Abraham Lincoln. He’s still on the run from questionable events in Yemen and his SEAL mission there. Finn is having memory issues so he can’t recall what happened, it just flashes in bits and pieces.

Now he’s in Iceland, hunting down some of those potentially corrupt SEALs to interrupt their next mission. He gets drawn into a local mystery with a drowned woman. I really liked the Reykjavik detective in this one and I liked reading about how she worked to solve the case.

As Finn tracks down the SEALs, someone else is hunting him! This one made me want to visit Iceland. The pacing was terrific, and it made for a quick read. I’ve gotten invested in Finn and can’t wait to read the next book to see if he gets all the answers he has been seeking.

Cold Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann is a suspenseful, gripping, and intense crime thriller set in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is the second book in the Finn series. Four months after the night in Yemen Finn is still trying to remember what happened and whether he is guilty of the crime. Wanted for questioning in connection to war crimes, he is after answers from three members of his former team who have been deployed to Iceland. However, things don’t go smoothly.

Finn is a well-developed character with courage and resilience. He is self-sufficient, a keen observer, and has trust issues. However, he is also experiencing memory lapses. This increases the impact and intrigue as the story unfolds. There is a wide range of supporting characters that provide conflict and interest.

What a prologue and first chapter! Stunning and heartbreaking, the story started out strong, but got even better as the characters became better known and the action amped up. An excellent pace kept this reader fully engaged. Moments of introspection in between action scenes give a fantastic insight into both Finn’s and Krista’s thoughts, behaviors, and actions towards others. This book has a solid plot, diverse characterization, and great atmosphere. It was interesting to see how Finn approached investigations as Krista Kristjansdottir, the main detective in the story, also investigated. The story was also thought-provoking and I found myself asking how much a person can take before giving up. I also learned a little about Iceland and its history. While the ending brings the reader closure on most things, one important item isn’t fully resolved. This novel shines light on law enforcement, the military, betrayal, death, murder, memory loss, corruption, and much more.

Overall, this is a well-plotted and brilliantly executed story with characters that felt emotionally rich. It has exciting scenes and a larger-than-life antagonist in an unsettling thriller that chills you to the bone at times. It’s a riveting tale that keeps readers turning the pages from start to finish. Those that enjoy crime thrillers, military thrillers, and police procedurals will likely enjoy this novel. It was not a light read, but it was well written and atmospheric. It works as a stand-alone novel, but book one in the series will give readers more depth and background. With high stakes, great characterization, and plenty of action in this series; I am looking forward to seeing what is next for Finn.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Brandon Webb, and John David Mann provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 7, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

This is book two of Finn’s search for answers. You don't have to read the first (Steal Fear) to read this but I liked that book a lot and it gives you more background. Finn goes to Iceland following three men who he thinks have the answers to a fateful night he can't remember. As a Navy SEAl disgraced and on the run, he has to find out what happened and how he was involved. As he searches the small town, that has a reputation for no violence, he learns he is being hunted by a rogue Navy SEAL that has as much skill as he does maybe more in some ways, and wants Finn dead. He becomes entangled in the death investigation of a young girl. Inspector Krista has her hands full trying to solve a possible murder or maybe suicide with very little to go on. The story is told from the viewpoint of Finn, Inspector Krista and the rogue Navy SEAl sent to kill Finn.
I found the key to the unfamiliar words in the back of the book and didn't know it was there until I finished. If you want an advantage flip back when you are questioning your idea of what the terminology means. I wish I'd known ahead of time. Anyhow, the book is a good read I found it difficult not knowing how to pronounce many of the names and words but it didn't take away from the story. You can't tell it's written by two authors, it's very cohesive. Brandon Webb & John David Mann do an excellent job writing. Thank you, NetGalley, and Publishers Bantam an imprint of Random House for allowing me to read this eARC I do recommend this thriller.

Cold Fear is the second in a series of thrillers written by a former Navy SEAL, Brandon Webb, and his coauthor, John David Mann, a successful writer. Steel Fear, their first book together, was set aboard the aircraft carrier the Abraham Lincoln. This one is set in Reykjavík, Iceland. The main character, a rogue SEAL, is named Finn. He’s rogue for a reason——he’s been framed for an ambush in Yemen that he actually had no part in. Now he’s on the run, trying to find the real culprits.
Cold Fear and it’s predecessor Steel Fear are both “heart-pounding” thrillers that compel the readers to plunge through. It helps to have read Steel Fear first, but isn’t absolutely necessary. Most of the details are either filled in by the authors or easily discernible. There is considerable military jargon, but I found the terms I didn’t know were easily googled.
The research in the book is impeccable,and the two authors have to be smart as whips. The plot has no holes that I could see. I am in the middle of Reykjavík (in my mind) with them and I have no clue how they are going to resolve the situation and save Finn, the main character.
Cold Fear does not end with a cliffhanger exactly. And yet there seems to be a clear promise that there will be more adventures in store for Chief Finn. I personally will look forward to that time. Webb and Mann have just brought me back to thrillers.

I know this is meant to be all about Finn but I found myself more engaged with Reykjavik detective Krista's quest for answers about the death of a young woman whose body disappeared after it was pulled out from under the ice in a duck pond. Finn's in town to find out what happened to him and his SEAL team colleagues in Yemen- he's tracked three other members to Iceland but why are they there? He's spotted. not by the SEAL team but by Krista and her team as they review video footage of the area the woman ran through before she died but he wasn't involved in her death. The two stories twist around one another, especially once a truly evil murderer turns up looking for him and for someone else (know that this gets graphic in spots). This is a thriller to be sure but it's not a military technology one, it's one that focuses on people, secrets, lies. and some topical issues that might come as a surprise. I'm a huge fan of Krista, whose powers of observation and fondest for American crime novels prove key to solving several parts of the mystery. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I read and very much enjoyed the first novel but this one- perhaps because it's set on land- felt different (not bad different, just different different), making it almost a standalone. Finn's got a tragic backstory and he's the sort of hero upon which a series can easily be built.