Last year, Lt. Col. H Ripley “Rip” Rawlings caught me by surprise with Assault By Fire. I described it as “an action packed, balls-to-the-wall thriller that doesn’t let you breathe for a moment.” Well, The Kill Box is all that and a bag of chips. A worthy sequel that kicks major ass and cements this young series as one of the absolute best in the military thriller genre.
The Kill Box picks up where Assault By Fire left off. Russia is attempting to transition from invasion to occupation of the United States but is still facing pockets of relentlessly determined military resistance on the East Coast and through Appalachia. Perhaps the biggest impediment to Russia’s near perfect plan is Marine Lieutenant Colonel Tyce Asher and his band of men and women from the 150th Cavalry Regiment in West Virginia. Asher and team, despite heavy casualties and limited supplies, continue to bring the fight to the Russians using insurgency techniques learned from the enemy they fought in previous wars where the United States was the superior force. When the exiled Vice President of the United States calls from Canada with a critical mission, Asher must find a way to outsmart the enemy and stop a potentially catastrophic plan in the works. However, the Russians seem to be a step ahead at every turn, leading Asher to conclude there’s a mole in his ranks. With the odds long to begin with, Asher now must contend with leading his team into bloody conflict while trying to root out the mole. As casualties mount, it’s a deadly battle of wits to see who will be victorious on the battlefield. Nothing short of freedom for the United States and her citizens is at stake.
Once again, Rip Rawlings delivers a peerless strategic and tactical military masterclass in thriller novel form. The Kill Box puts the reader smack dab in the middle of raw unadulterated warfare to feel the intense pressure of every decision, the abject pain of every bullet tearing through flesh and the sheer desperation of combat where failure is not an option. Despite the fictional nature of the book, it feels incredibly realistic and as if it should be taught at a military academy or war college to enlighten military leaders on potential approaches and maneuvers for future battlefields.
If you call yourself a fan of the thriller genre, then you must read The Kill Box and automatically add this series to your TBR pile upon every new release. You won’t find a grittier, more descriptive military thriller anywhere. Rip Rawlings has the goods, translating his military experience into amazingly cinematic novels and thriller connoisseurs are the grateful recipients of this gift.
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