Review: Without Sanction

Without Sanction by Don Bentley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Don Bentley just stormed the Thriller/Shooter genre with an explosive breaching charge!

I'm always a bit skeptical starting a new series, regardless of how many additions already exist. Even a stand alone novel, which this technically is even tho it's dubbed "Matt Drake #1." It's a new base of characters I have no attachment to, new author, new writing style and most importantly a new hero with no established backstory. How could I possibly immerse myself in a new character within a few hundred pages, at a level consistent with all my other beloved door kickers. Well, come to find out, I was all-in by the second chapter.

Bentley writes this like a seasoned vet, although, a quick glance at his history confirms he was a real life BAMF and not a writer. Or at least a published one. I'm not one to imagine vivid pictures while I read, I enjoy the action sequences and "Man Book" plot lines. However, without knowingly doing so I was creating very detailed images of the scenes in Without Sanction. The emotions felt deep, drawn from what were probably real-life events, the tension, the stress and where it really shined, the camaraderie. I'm not a soldier but have become accustom to their strong bonds, as depicted in the many NYT best selling authors series similar to this one. Matt Drake and his boy Froto share an unrivaled loyalty to each other, to someone like me who never experienced combat forged bonds, it's truly inspiring.

Matt Drake is an ex-Airborne Ranger turned DIA case officer. Struggling with the guilt of a mission gone bad, he is dragged back into the game against his will to help stop a chemical weapons threat. Drake finds himself chasing down a would-be asset with firsthand knowledge of the weapon, while also trying to rescue a fellow Ranger who's been captured and awaiting terrorist assassination via livestream. Loads of gut-wrenching action, twists and "he did what!?" fill this non-stop thriller from start to finish. To cap it off, I was genuinely surprised by a plot twist in the final chapters. I thought by this point after reading nearly 100 shooter/thrillers I couldn't be surprised anymore! Here's hoping Don Bentley has #2 in the chamber, weapons hot!

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