I received this book from the fine folks at NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author free of charge in return for an honest review.

This book starts out as a seemingly down on his luck Afghanistan veteran, Derek, tries to make a living utilizing the skills that he had learned during the Global War on Terrorisim teaching wilderness survival skills to civilians. It is during one of these training sessions that he meets Gil, a stereotypical redneck who found word of Derek's classes from Youtube. Towards the end of the class, Gil drops his sterotypical facade and approaches Derek with an offer to provide training for a group of people located in upstate New York.

In doing his due diligence for this venture Derek decides to run this past a friend, an agent for the FBI, who expresses some concerns and entices Derek to help him improve his career track within the FBI by running a covert operation into this group that he has been asked to train and to report back to him.

Derek is introduced to Marshall, the leader of the of this group, who has gathered a group of individuals who are at the fringes of society (ie: the downtrodden, those who have been financially impacted by the medical industry) who are hidden away at a remote location in upstate New York. An apt comparison is made to religiuous zealots such as Waco and Marshall's group as he continues to weave passages from the bible in his verbal rhetoric.

It is during this rigorous wilderness training sessions with Gil and his security team, that Derek is introduced to Sarah, a woman who he makes the conclusion is with another government agency investigating the same group in remote upstate New York.

Upon finishing this book, it is my conclusion that it would be readily enjoyed by those who enjoy a strong read with adventure and action themes. I believe that the author, T.R. Hendricks, has built a strong character with a great backstory. I would easily rate this book a strong four stars out of five and am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth.

This story was not for me. Although the writing and the pace of the story is good, I couldn't connect with the characters.

2.75☆

For the genre, I found the pace to be too slow. It picked up in the latter third, but by then, it was too late. As a result, I had a hard time staying engaged and connecting with the characters. The ending paves the way for a sequel.

📖 THE INSTRUCTOR by TR Hendricks

🕵🏻 Former Marine, Derek Harrington, is adjusting to civilian life after 22 years in the service - and it’s not going great. He has a struggling Survivalist business, is recently divorced, and keeps messing things up with his son. After his latest Survivalist class he is approached to do a private training for a secretive group. He agrees and it turns out it’s a freaking CULT!

They say then that they want him to come back and train their people in combat techniques and other insane things and they are going to him a bunch of money, which Derek needs because his ex wife is about to lose the house, he hasn’t paid child support in a long time, and his dad has dementia and had to be put in an assisted living facility.

He feels ick about the whole thing so he calls up his FBI buddy, Kelly, who sets up this half-assed off the books undercover operation with Derek going in and infiltrating this milita-cult.

So Derek goes undercover and gives these punishing, horrendous, training exercises - like tying them all in a line to large tree branch, so the short guys were getting choked and the tall guys had to be hunched over, or sleeping in a beaver dam-like cage over marsh water. Just absolutely nutty physical wilderness challenges.

Eventually, things in the investigation progress and things go awry and Derek ends up found out and caught by the group and the bloodiest torture scene I’ve read since Chris Carter had a serial killer melting people to death, have I read such a gruesome scene.

The ending, as I expected it would be, was very action driven. Derek’s a hero after all - think Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, Rambo, John Wick-type of stuff.

👩🏻‍💻 If this doesn’t end up being optioned as something for the screen, I’ll be shocked. It worked so well for me - and there were some great moments and a twist that reminded me very much of a book/movie from the 90s that I can’t say, or you’ll know the twist in the book. 😂

It was so good, so fun, so educational, and so wicked. Who doesn’t love a cult book!? The leader, Marshal? Yeah…gave me the creeps. And there are some parts in the relationship between Derek and his ex-wife that made me roll my eyes, because it was just clearly written from a man’s POV. 😂

But that is something I actually enjoyed in this book - this book is very masculine in the way the men interact with each other with stereotypical machismo, but I haven’t read that in anything before and it just hit right as something new.

Overall, super fun action-packed book. Thank you to TR Hendricks, NetGalley, and Tor for the ARC copy.

What do you do if you are a former military person, suffering from PTSD, with anger issues, separated from your wife, and somewhat distant from your son? Well, if you are like the "instructor" you sell the one service that you are very good at-training folks in wilderness survival. Derek Harrington is a retired Marine Force Recon and SERE instructor [survival, evasion, resistance, and escape], who is barely scraping by doing these weekend trainings.

At one of his wilderness training camps, he is approached by one of his students as the class is ending with an opportunity to earn big money doing his wilderness training but with a twist--doing more military-focused actions. He decides to take this opportunity with a contingency basis to see if it is something that he might be interested in doing longer term.

Fast forward to the camp set in the wilderness of upstate New York. His students seem like a bunch of good-old-boys; somewhat redneck but way out of shape and definitely in need of some training. They want it because another nearby clan has supposedly been probing their encampment and all they say they want is to be left alone and to make sure others know it.

As Derek starts his training, some things seem not exactly right. He is beginning to suspect there is a more nefarious purpose for what he is being asked to train the men. This is when it hits the proverbial fan. Lots of action, involvement with the FBI, and other agencies; attempts on his life as well as threats against his family.

The story comes to a crescendo as it becomes clear what this group is actually trying to do. So the trainer becomes the hunted by his students who want his head. The characters are very much believable, and the story development is hair-raising along the way.

Definitely would recommend this book to the reader who is looking for a fast-paced, action adventure. Add in the PTSD aspect and you will develop a better understanding of what those who have been in harm’s way for the country might be undergoing! I absolutely loved the story and the characters!

How’s this for a pedigree? USMC Chief Warrant Officer Four, Force Recon, Military Intelligence with qualifications in human and counterintelligence, Infantry School, Dev Group, Airborne qualified, Air Assault, HALO, training as a medic, in demolitions, and SCUBA. SERE instructor. Tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Horn of Africa.
What did he get from all that? A strong case of PTSD, a divorce and lost child custody to his ex, and not to mention he’s detached from his dad (that was pre-military), also a vet, who needs 24hr nursing care and hates everyone. Derek Harrington’s military plate was filled with missions. His civilian plate is filled with domestic issues. All he wants is to provide for his son, try to reconcile with his wife, and get his dad the care needed.
With that kind of background, Derek works as an outdoor instructor in rural upstate New York; I believe the phrase is underemployed. He teaches survival tactics to civilians who sign up for his course because such courses are trendy. To say he struggles financially would be an understatement. Gil, a bit of a redneck smart ass, signed up for his course and was on the fast track for being sent home by Derek. At the close of this group’s course, Gil’s demeanor changes into something serious. After all the rest of the class have left, Gil tells Derek that he, Gil, was in the class to evaluate Derek’s fitness to be a hired private tutor/coach/instructor to a band of families living off the land ever further off the beaten track.
The group consists of families who’ve had enough of how the government treats the downtrodden. They’ve all managed to find each other to form their own community living off the land in the deep NY woods. Problem is some of the locals have been intruding and making life miserable for those beaten down by ‘the man.’ If Derek is willing, they will pay him a wage far greater than he can earn through his survival school. More in a month than he might make in 6 or more months. What they want him to do is train their security detail to protect the compound.
Derek says he’ll think about it but given that he’d be off the grid for a month, he’ll need to set things up with his ex, his son, and his dad. Not to mention, he asks a former military chum, now an FBI agent, to check on this group.
The FBI doesn't have much, so Derek is ‘recruited’ to become an informant to keep the FBI appraised on what’s going on. No one wants another Rudy Ridge, Waco, or Jamestown. An elaborate way of communication is set up and Derek goes in to teach and keep his ears open.
That’s the setup, maybe the first quarter of the book. The next half could be considered a narrative version of the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Rescue, Escape) manual. The author goes into exquisite detail how a SERE course breaks people down so they can become adept at important SERE skills. I’m betting plenty of men reading this book will wonder, ‘could I have done that?’
What starts out as simply an off the grid community takes a dark turn as Derek uncovers information about the goals and ambitions of this quasi-religious settlement. We learn what Derek is capable of when his family is threatened.
As you get to know what Derek Harrington is made of, you’ll expect a lot and get even more. Imagine Jack Reacher with some serious PTSD. T. R. Hendricks (betting a lot of Derek's pedigree is based on his own military background) has presented us with a compelling character that I’m betting lots will keep reading for two reasons. First, the end of book 1 skillfully sets up book 2. Second, the cover settles it from the start: “A Derek Harrington Novel.”
Saddle ‘em up boys. Betting Derek is in for some unsettling rides.

East Coast Don

Derek goes undercover, to get info for an FBI friend, into a paramilitary type group, living off of the land and training for attack. He is hired to teach the men in the group how to do military style battle. There is a lot of personal sacrifice for him in his mission and the action is a little too dragged out for me as the story develops slowly.
A faster paced action filled storyline was what I was expecting.
A stronger character build for the protagonist would be welcome in future books in this upcoming series.
Just okay.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw this book, but liked the cover and description, so I gave it a try. It’s absolutely FANTASTIC!! I don’t want to put it down. Excellent action from someone who knows what he’s talking about. Highly recommended.

The Instructor is an introduction to Derek and what I hope is long running series. The character of Derek is a down on his luck veteran who is dealing with personal and professional struggles. He gets a chance to get ahead but is the opportunity to go to be true, it is yet to be seen. The plot is a slow burn with interesting character building and development. The world is ours but seen through our main character’s eyes with brief glimpses from other POVs. If you like a good thriller with some military themes and characters this is a book for you. Can’t wait for the next installment.

The Instructor is a hard-boiled and raw action thriller that holds back no punches in its endeavor to entertain readers with sincere storytelling that emphasis the plight of humans today in the face of lost identities and philosophical conundrums. I still can’t believe it’s a debut because it reads like one penned by a veteran author.

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book.

What drew me to this book was that the setting was in the wilderness of the US versus the usual locales such as the Middle East or Russia for these special forces type characters. Initially, I felt the pacing of the book was a little slow, but I realize now that the author is setting this up as a series and had to take some time to introduce the different characters and flesh them out. However, the last 100 pages or so of the book was as thrilling as any thriller I have read recently. Further, the ending was set up perfectly for the sequel, and I am eager to read the further adventures of the Derek Harrington character.

You never know what to expect with a debut author. Obviously the book was good enough to get published, but will it fit into the genre that you enjoy? This book does not dissappoint. The action scenes throughout are so vivid and real. You feel the pain and fatigue that the characters feel.
There are a few novels out there that have protaganists that are former soldiers, dealing with issues, PTSD, or other maladies. Family trouble, money trouble are also common tropes. Mark Greaney's Armored and Nick Petrie's Peter Ash series are just a couple of examples. But it feels fresh in this novel.
You get to a point a few times where you wonder how the protaganist can get out of a situation and you feel his despair. He isn't superhuman and has bad things happen. He doesn't avoid pain himself which was good to read. I look forward to other novels by T.R. Hendricks and hope that he is able to continue this series with the same style that served him so well in this novel.

Thank you. I enjoyed reading your work. This was alot of fun. Suspensful and action packed. Good.
I'll do a better review using other on-line media outlets.
Thanks again. Out.

What an excellent debut novel, WOW! Once you start, it does not let go or let up. The character development is well done without bogging down the pace. The survival training and tactical aspects of the book are solid lending creditability to the characters. The twists come out of nowhere but are tied back into the story beautifully. The ending ties up some of the lose ends while presenting new challenges that set us up for the next installment of The Instructor. Already looking forward to the next book in this exciting new series. FIVE STARS!!!

Wow!! An excellent, edge of your seat thrill ride! Great plotting, a plot twist, and great characters. Keeps you guessing till the end.
Derek is a former Marine turned survival instructor. He is approached to teach a group of separatists how to keep their camp secure. He uncovers a terrorist plot and tries to stop it.
An excellent first book. Can’t wait to read the next one.