With the intensity level dialed up to an 11, Armored is a thriller that reads like a hit summer blockbuster film. Mark Greaney has absolutely and unsurprisingly nailed the start of a new series with a smart, capable and determined, yet imperfect, protagonist that you root for with all your heart to succeed.
Josh Duffy is a mall cop trying to make ends meet and support his family. But he’s more than meets the eye. Previously he served in the Army and then as a close protection agent and elite operator, until a mission went bad in Lebanon and he lost his lower left leg saving one of his protectees. So when he bumps into an old friend who gives him an opportunity to get back into the game, he jumps at the chance to see some action and make serious money he desperately needs. The only catch is that he’s joining a private military contractor that has a less-than-stellar reputation. But Josh needs the money and he signs on for a mission deep into Mexican cartel country to protect government and United Nations officials attempting to negotiate a peace. There’s no chance this will be a walk in the park. The only question is how bad it will be and if Josh and his fellow operators survive the inevitable violence.
There are numerous features that make Armored a hell of a read. The military weapons, gear, vehicles and tactics come across as impressively authentic. The Sierra Madre Mountains acts as its own character, providing an unforgiving locale with danger lurking around every turn, peak and valley. The characters – whether it’s Duffy, the other contract operators, the delegation they’re charged to protect, the cartel leadership and sicarios, and others – are expertly crafted and developed to fit the story flawlessly. The plot is powerfully treacherous, driving anxiety through the roof and testing the characters in incredible ways. And the writing is sublime, hiding motives until the perfect time to reveal game-changing twists that increase your desire for certain characters to be victorious while simultaneously praying for others to face an imminent and permanent demise. It’s straight non-stop action with no let up, providing hours of high-speed entertainment.
Mark Greaney is one of the absolute best in the business, so it’s expected that everything he writes will be pure gold. However unfair it is to assume greatness will be attained with every novel, it’s a product of his own consistent success and ability to raise the bar time and time again. Incredibly, Greaney unflinchingly continues to produce banger after banger after banger. I don’t know how he does it, but thriller fans are the great beneficiaries. And Armored is the latest gift he’s given to us readers.
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