Intense, propulsive and fueled by non-stop action, Sentinel is a cinematic nail-biting balls-to-the-wall thrill ride. Mark Greaney only writes bangers, and this is just the latest example.

Ghana is the most stable democracy in Africa. That is, until a Chinese MSS plot is launched to enact a coup using local rebels, jihadists and a band of ruthless mercenaries. But what they didn’t count on was running into Josh Duffy, the newest member of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service team in country. While attempting to thwart the initial stage of the attack and get his protectees out of the line of fire, he recognizes one of the mercs from his past. Kicking off a personal battle that threatens everything Josh loves and requiring every bit of skill and operational intelligence he possesses to save the day…and his family.

The star of this book is Josh Duffy, an accomplished and flawed man with combat experience that has left him with a prosthetic leg. He is haunted by past missions but is able to put that aside to support his family and do his job at a high level. And nothing less than his best will do in Sentinel given he’s up against a capable, motivated and unscrupulous enemy that’s part of an intricately planned operation with military, psychological and social media aspects designed to install a new leader of Ghana. But as the old sayings go: everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the mouth, and, the enemy gets a vote. And in this case, Josh Duffy packs one hell of a punch and votes with extreme violence of action.

Combining a cunning plot with brilliantly constructed action-sequences, Sentinel is sure to thrill and delight military thriller fans. Guaranteed to result in fist pumps, exclaiming “oh shit” and “hell yeah” multiple times, and leaving a satisfied smile on each reader’s face.

This is a fast paced action packed story that will keep you turning the pages. There is a cast of interesting characters , there is also a lot going on so you need to pay attention. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Greaney's follow-up to his Armored novel is a step up with a thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling novel.

This is well knitted plot into a rather long narrative. I would think a hundred pages might could be cut out. In this case, I'm not sure where. Most over long books is obvious where trimming could occur. Not to indicate this is a tight book. There's an onslaught of story that includes a bit of levity and the battles are cut to bone. This Greaney book reminds me most of his earliest Gray Man novels.

The book begins quietly enough and then speeds into the main point of plot rather quickly. The premise is not unimaginable. In fact, as one who keeps a bit of a tap on African politics, Greaney maps out just how the Chinese is worming in to have control of the continent... or, at least, part of it.
Greaney's effort is logical and likely true to some extent. How true will be known after the fact.

There's a series of new characters and returning ones that are well defined with appropriate dialogue. All have their own voice and used consistently. Why is this so hard for most current authors to do?

The ending is thoroughly satisfying and I look forward to #3 in the series.

Bottom line: i recommend this book. 9 out of 10 points.
This preview book was available through NetGalley.com

I loved the plot description in this book, but found it pretty hard to follow. There were TONS of characters, and I found myself getting lost in the timeline. That said, I do like the plot, and will be reading more from this author!

An awesome action-packed ride through exotic locations and heart-pounding shootouts. Mark Greaney elevates the stakes in this amazing of plot-driven storytelling with great character growths for future stories to capitalize on.

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

Another great read by the author. It is a fast paced story that is non stop. The author does a great job developing the characters and building the story. This is the 2nd book in Josh Duffy series. The story picks up where Armored left off follow Josh and his family to Africa. Trouble follows him and a person from his past come back to cause him trouble.

I highly recommend Sentinel. Mark Greaney continues to put out great books!

Sentinel
by Mark Greaney
Pub Date: June 25, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
An African coup may force Josh Duffy to choose between his mission and his family in this intense thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Gray Man series.
In book 2 of this series, the protagonist Josh Duffy is trying to regain some sense of normalcy back into his life with his young family. Unfortunately, once again Josh is pulled back into his military/contractor background. No matter how hard he tries, it is what he is truly good at so I think a central theme to this series is his battle to balance his unique talents with keeping a somewhat normal family life.
I loved this book, and this author is the best! Don't miss this June release!
5 stars

This eARC was received through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is the second book in the 'Armored' series and continues a time after the events of the first book. It could be read as a stand-alone, but for better background on the characters, probably best read in order.

The book was fairly action-filled, with many explosions, gunshots, and definitely technical information on so many weapons, places and events in Africa, that it was easy to get a bit lost. There are many things happening back-to-back that it really makes it a bit unbelievable a person(s) could actually survive mostly unhurt through most of the action. But that is what a good action thriller does....
Overall, the book was enjoyable, and I find myself wondering where Greaney will go next with this character.

Josh Duffy and his wife Nikki are both working for the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service providing protection for diplomats in the field. They've been sent to Ghana with a team of US embassy personnel who are there to highlight American commitment to the construction of a new dam.

Since Ghana is a stable democracy, the Duffy children have come along. But stability proves to be fleeting when a Chinese plan to embarrass the US means the destruction of the dam. Now Josh and his protectees are on the run caught between a Chinese hit squad and a rebel army.

This reader fell in love with Josh and Nikki when she read Armored, and was thrilled to have them back in this engrossing, action-packed thriller. Mark Greaney is great at adding the human element to the guns and glory military thriller, and his books shine because of that. Highly recommended. #Sentinel #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthorSeries

Mark Greaney keeps killing it. The second book in the Armored Series has Josh Duffy adjusting to his new life. Since the thriller conclusion of Amored, Josh has landed a job with the security arm of the State Department. His wife, Nichole also has a job with the state department now. Once she finishes her training period, her, Josh, and their two children are assigned to Ghana, one of the most stable countries in Africa. Little do they know that a Chinese Operative is making plans to support a coup to overthrow the government with the help of mercenaries including someone from Josh’s path. As the coup unfolds, Josh finds himself and his protectees right in the thick of it.

Sentinel is a fast paced fantastic plot that pulls you in from the start. The action is nonstop from about a third of a way into the book until the end. The action scenes are intense and very realistic. Bringing back a mercenary from Josh’s past makes an excellent twist and brings up the suspense and makes the stages even more personally. Josh’s wife plays a supporting role in this installment and it adds another wrinkle into the plot. I also enjoy the fact that Josh has a prosthetic leg, but it doesn’t limit hi or become a main factor in the story. It pops up from time to time, but doesn’t limit his ability to be a bad ass.

Overall this is an excellent thriller, and a very good follow up to the debut in the series. If you are a fan of action packed thrillers, his book is a must read. Thank you to Mark Greaney, NetGalley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

I think SENTINEL is the best thing Mark Greaney has published in quite a while.

There's nothing unique here. The narrative even has an overall sense of familiarity about it, and the characters are similar to characters we've seen a hundred times before. But here's the thing: SENTINEL is really well done. That's what makes it such an appealing, comfortable read.

Prose craftsmanship seems to be less admired these days than it used to be, but it's still right up at the top of my list of the things I'm looking for in a novel. Everyone likes to talk about plot twists or relating to characters, but I care more about crisp, clean, well-constructed prose. And Mark Greaney hits that part right out of the park here.

It's fun watching a master craftsman at work, and in SENTINEL that's exactly what you'll see.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC to this book in exchange for an honest review.

In book 2 of this series, the protagonist Josh Duffy is trying to regain some sense of normalcy back into his life with his young family. Unfortunately, once again Josh is pulled back into his military/contractor background. No matter how hard he tries, it is what he is truly good at so I think a central theme to this series is his battle to balance his unique talents with keeping a somewhat normal family life. I enjoyed this book, but unfortunately and its not the author's fault, but his gray man character is so strong that this series just doesn't seem to measure up. As I said, I enjoyed it and I would recommend it but I feel like there are other books like this in print these days, while I think the Gray Man series is unique and very exciting. I would give this 4 stars