Wide Awake is a fantastic denouement for Steve Konkoly's most action-packed series to date, and a sobering look at how America's enemies could fan the flames of division to their own benefit.
Fast-paced, brilliant, and torn right out of tomorrow's headlines (if we're unlucky), Wide Awake is not to be missed.

A conspiracy to incite an American civil war. The desperate chase to stop it is on in a propulsive thriller by Steven Konkoly, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Deep Sleep . After taking out a sleeper network, Devin Gray and Marnie Young are picking up the pieces of their disrupted lives. But the gravity of the conspiracy they helped to cripple is sucking them right back into the black hole of violence and subterfuge that nearly consumed them. Another sleeper network is awake. A progressive congresswoman dies in a car explosion, vaporized by an American kamikaze drone—the beginning of the mayhem to come. What Devin dismantled is being rebuilt. The ignite a civil war in the United States and burn America to the ground. Seeds of unrest are planted. Threats are escalating. The clock is ticking as Devin, Marnie, and an unconventional team of allies play a cat-and-mouse game across the country to stop a domestic nightmare from coming true.

I really feel like that this book is factual instead of fiction. I really enjoyed the story. I couldn't put it down until I was finished. My first and certainly not last read by Steven Konkoly.

Another great read from Steven Konkoly. These books have great detail. Characters that are well developed, and a plot that is relevant and very good. And the pacing, couldn't hardly put the book down. #WideAwake #NetGalley

Steven Konkoly sets the world on fire in this action-packed and fear-inducing thriller that leaves Devin Gray and his covert team fighting for their lives.

While the battle rages in war town Ukraine, Devin Gray and his team are in for the fight of their lives as Russians mercenaries are sneaking their way into the United States following their escapades overseas. When prominent people start dying at a rapid pace and in unconventional domestic locations, Gray and team must figure out what is going on.

What looks like the dirty deeds from a clandestine group of operatives from a foreign country turns out to be a ruse while battlefield technology starts reigning terror from the skies in the United States. While tensions are at an all-time high, the perpetrators are handcuffing the defenses of the U.S, by using stolen U.S. technology in the form of razorblade drones, containing 15 lb. warheads to wreak havoc at all costs. While Gray and team must weather the storm, they must battle their way to the front lines and the epicenter of Russian intent to prevent an all-out civil war between the political parties that have divided the United States immensely.

Konkoly cleverly grasps onto the civil battle that is plaguing the United States between political parties and the ever-growing trend of disinformation. His ability to tie battlefield technology and hometown protests and the flow of illegal weapons creates one hell of a storyline that will leave you hoping for nothing but success from the team.

The ever-growing number of dollars and weapons that have been flowing from the United States into Ukraine make you think that this novel isn’t too far from the truth. The characters are tried and tested, but face almost insurmountable odds while the plotline is completely believable and scary. I found this to be one of the most fascinating and believable storylines I have read in some time. The back alley deals in the government combined with the money supplying ‘non-existent’ agencies makes this a heart-pounding adventure that just makes you ask what is real and what isn’t. Don’t miss out on the third installment of Devin Gray and be prepared to buckle in for an all-time high.

A conspiracy to place the US under siege through a civil war puts Devin and his team under extreme pressure to avoid mass murders and a debacle. The story is fast-paced, full of action, fighting, and cyber war, and at the same time, it shows how strong the bonds among warriors can be.
I thank Mr. Konkoly, his publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with the Border Patrol coming under fire by people crossing from Mexico. Later, this is followed up with the arrival of a mercenary leader as well as the death of a Congresswoman by a drone. Thede events brought the DEEP SLEEP task force to attention. After discovering that the drone was made by an American firm, Devin and Brian made arrangements to meet with the company that made them. In the meeting Devin requested information pertaining whether any of the drones went missing.

Devin and Brian were planning to go sailing and Brian asked whether the cruise was still own. The next day, Devin along with Marnie and Brian with his wife, were sailing when Devin became suspicious of a boat. His thought was right as he was attacked by this boat as well as two others. Devin was now in a fight for their lives. AS it turned out, this was not the only attack on members of the DEEP SLEEP team. In the end Devin as well as the other members of the task force were taken to a safe house for safety. Once they arrived, they began trying to figure out what was going on. They determined that something major was in the works. Even in this location they came under attack.

To discover who was responsible for these attacks as well as what major event was in the works and what steps the task force took to stop it, then you need to read this book. The action will definitely keep your interest.

Steven Konkoly brings together diverse characters and an alarming scenario like few authors can. His third book in the Devin Gray series, Wide Awake , kept me reading late into the night. Devin Gray and Marnie Young are trying to return to a normal life after taking out a sleeper network. However, violence and a potential for another sleeper network has them back at work. A plan to start a civil war in the United States is underway. Threats and violence escalate. Who is behind it and can it be stopped?

As always, this author brings characters to life, especially Devin and Marnie. They’re intelligent, patriotic, self-confident, strong, and bold. However, they also have some shortcomings that readers find as the story progresses and their natures and backstories become known to readers. It was also great to visit with old friends from the Black Flagged series.

The initial chapters introduce the various characters and situations from a border patrol incident to the protagonists to various antagonists and supporting characters. However, it took a while to determine how everyone fits into the story, which takes readers from Washington DC to multiple US states to a foreign country. This novel kept me captivated from the first page to its astonishing conclusion.

Konkoly is an outstanding storyteller who kept me on the edge of my seat with gripping scenes, action, a superb plot, and fantastic writing. His military background brings an authenticity to his thrillers. He does a great job of balancing the shocking action scenes against the intrigue of the conspiracy plot and the planning of countermeasures. The dynamic plot came alive and felt all too possible with real-world issues incorporated into the story highlighting the societal and political differences between individuals and countries.

Plenty of suspense, a constant sense of urgency, a state of disquietude, and lots of action combined with great characters and a well-written plot make this novel a must read for those who enjoy thrillers. Themes include conspiracy, violence, differing political and social ideologies, duty, leadership, organization, and coordination.

Overall, this was a gripping, gritty, and chilling story with complex characters. It’s intense and dramatic and kept this reader turning the pages. It’s also my favorite of the series. I would recommend it to those who enjoy political and military thrillers. This book works well as a standalone novel. However, the background and relationship dynamics are best fully understood by reading earlier novels in the series.

Thomas and Mercer and Steven Konkoly provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for August 15, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Steven Konkoly Wide Awake
Steven Konkoly writes great books. In Wide Awake, Devin Gray and his team are fighting sleeper cells which intend to instigate a second American civil war. Great characters, spy craft, and action. Read this book!
#StevenKonkoly #NetGalley #WideAwake

Fast paced action sequences that keeps the reader engaged. Felt a bit lost as I have not read any books in the series previously, so missed some of the character development. Will be checking out other books!

A highly-select group of individuals have been tasked with looking further into long-term sleeper cells. When new information comes to light, the team realizes that US citizens are about to be pulled into a second civil war. However, it won't be an ordinary war. This war will involve technology that is extremely deadly.

When reading this book, expect intense action, moments of sheer terror, as well as light-hearted banter. All of which are well-paced by the author.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to read the third book in the Devin Gray series courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing. I will definitely be adding the eBook version to my reading tablet when it becomes available on August 15. 2023.

As others have mentioned in their reviews, WIDE AWAKE, the third and final entry in Steven Konkoly's Devin Gray Military Thriller series, starts off with a literal bang. Well, after a couple of chapters setting things up, but the action doesn't let up for very long once things get started, with a 10 chapter running gun battle as the book's first set piece. Hit squads from around the world, under Russian direction, sow terror throughout in an attempt to spark a civil war between left and right.


Gray and former helicopter hot shot Marnie Young return as the key figures, along with veteran spooks Karl Berg and Audra Bauer, while Richard Farrington, protege of General Terrence Sanderson's out-of-country mercenary organization, once again puts his crack outfit to work as the primary operators on Gray's Deep Sleep Task Force.


Russian hit squad leader Yuri Pichugin, who barely survived an Israeli attack in the previous entry of the series, is sprung from a hidden US prison where his master Vladimir Putin has had him on ice for a year, with one last chance to please the Russian leader. In turn he offers hitman Felix Orlov *his* last chance to take out Gray and his fellow Deep Sleep TF members who have been dogging Russian sleeper agents for the last two books. Putin and Pichugin want them gone before they can foil their latest attempt to do major damage in the US, as hit teams target good guys on both coasts and start killing anyone they can who opposes the Russian's operations here, both militarily and politically, on their way to fomenting America's next civil conflict.


While reading the previous entry in the series I was tweeting that Konkoly's thrillers offered up a John Wick on steroids level of action, and WIDE AWAKE does not disappoint on that count. As also noted by other reviewers, you can thoroughly enjoy WIDE AWAKE by itself, but it is best read as the final entry of the Devin Gray trilogy, or even as part of several interconnected series listed below.


The Devin Gray series and several others have crossovers with characters from Konkoly's best known series, Black Flagged, with a 25 year timeline from the 6 volume Black Flagged through Ryan Decker's four books, the Devin Gray trilogy and final trio The Zulu Virus Chronicles. These 16 and some shorts join his 6 book Alex Fletcher series as some of the best action-oriented military thrillers in the business under the banner of The Wider Black Flagged World. If any of the names above are unfamiliar -aside from Russian president Putin - reading these series in order will not only entertain thriller fans immensely but familiarize you with the entire bunch and more. They are all well worth getting to know.


My thanks go out to NetGalley and publisher Thomas and Mercer for an Advance Review Copy of WIDE AWAKE. My rating of 5 stars reflects my honest opinion of this exciting read, and I can't wait to see what Konkoly's got lined up to follow it. Reading WIDE AWAKE prompted me to finally read my last two entries from Konkoly's backlist, FRACTURED STATE and ROGUE STATE, to tide me over for, well, at least a few days. I read WIDE AWAKE IN two!

a good thriller with engaging characters

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

I received this book apparently some time ago (as Netgalley had a reminder on my login page to post a review and rating) from the author, the publishing company, and the fine folks at Netgalley.

I might have had the opportunity to read a book or two from this author's writings, but apparently not from this series. This book is a definite edge-of-your-seat thriller for these troubled times! Konkoly's vast military knowledge and deft writing style weave together an all-too-plausible tale of international intrigue and terrorism that may tempt you to unplug your computer and toss your phone. Really well done! (Now, I have to go back and read books 1 & 2!)


This was a classic case of letting my personal preconceptions keep me away from an enormously talented author's work. In short, this work, focusing on a Russian plot to instigate a civil war in the United States using carefully infiltrated special forces mercenary units and high-tech drones of our own manufacture is impossible to put down. The characters are interesting and well-developed, and the action is non-stop. If you like the action/adventure genre with a heavy dose of techno fiction served up on the side, this is a book (and a series) that you will want to get ahold of. There are several earlier books in the series, but I have not read any of them, and that did not interfere with my delight with this work (although there are references to other books in the series throughout the text, one can enjoy this book on its own terms). The story is complex but not needlessly so and (unfortunately) altogether too plausible.

In the modern world, increasingly dangerous, resembling Europe just before the Second World War, the events related here require far too little of "the willing suspension of disbelief." It is the kind of story that lends itself to an almost cinematic experience, and I would not be surprised if a studio doesn't soon pick this up.

That said, as far as a rating goes, I enjoyed the action and the dramatic build-up of the story (while this story can be a stand-alone, it would definitely be beneficial to know a bit of the story behind the antagonist) and would be a definite favorite for the action junkie type of reader and would easily garner a solid four and a half stars out of five (which in terms of Goodreads would round to five). Again, it is not for everyone; the violence, while not gratuitous, is omnipresent. The topic, however, rises above the action and provides much food for thought.

As with all of my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents worth. #wideawake #netgalley

Really excited about this book. It was an Absolutely phenomenal read. High will recommend to others to pick up as soon as it is released.

I've read several books by Steven Konkoly and have always found them to be fast paced, interesting and hard to put down. This one was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Following on from the events of the previous books in the series, Devin Gray thinks the conspiracy he stopped in Deep Sleep and Coming Dawn shattered the. sleeper network that had been hiding and plotting in plain sight for years. But it's only just the beginning. There are more enemy agents on US soil and they have a new plan to upend democracy in the USA. If they can take Devin and his colleagues out at the same time, all the better. What ensues is a high-octane cinematic thriller that barrels along at a breathtaking pace with numerous and expansive action scenes.
But it is the sense of authenticity that hits hardest. The story is chilling in its realism as Steven Konkoly uses a backdrop of the real divides that have polarized the country. Could something like this actually take place?
This is a five-star thriller from an author who knows how to ratchet up the tension.

A great book in the series. The action was fast paced and the weapons/tactics were real. The story will keep you engaged and you do not want to put this book down. An excellent read!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wide Awake is the third adventure with Devin Gray and it's connected with the two previous books but can be read as a standalone if you like. Steven Konkoly is one of my favorite authors although I haven't read everything by him. Devin is still trying to dig up all the remaining sleeper agents his mother discovered when they get a new threat and it's almost non stop thrilling action with a lot of drones. I do like the character Konkoly has created in this series and the dialogu going on. It's is not the usual conspiracy secret agent stuff going on and now I wonder what will happen in the next book. A big thanks to Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy.

Devin Gray and Marnie Young are back in action in Wide Awake, the 3rd book in the series, and this one is literally off to an explosive start. A new cell of Russian sleeper agents have been activated, and a US Congresswoman is assassinated, which is only the start of a new attack using drones. Devin and his team race the clock to prevent more attacks in another action-packed mission in this suspenseful and fast paced thriller. Once again the story picks up where the last book ended, wasting no time in getting right to the storyline. The battle scenes are fierce but not overly technical, keeping the reader engaged and on edge throughout, and no characters are exempt from danger. This is really a must-read series in this genre if you haven’t already started, and Devin Gray fans will not be disappointed in this latest installment, as this is another 5 star book. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, and Netgally for the ARC.
This book was an amazing ride! Non stop action from start to finish. The universe that Steven Konkoly has built needs to continue! Current global events added a certain weight to the plot, which was enjoyable.

I'd have loved to see the Petroviches drop in for some action :)

Thank you again for the very enjoyable experience of reading this ARC. I look forward to more!