Review - Fields of Fire by Ryan Steck

Fans of the genre know him as The Real Book Spy. If you're like me you follow his social media accounts and read his newsletter. When you read his recommendations and reviews, they have weight because we know he's put in the time and done his research.

Ryan Steck has now entered the genre as an author, and man, did he come out swinging. This debut novel from Steck is outstanding.

Steck's protagonist, Matthew Redd, is a Marine Raider. If you know anything about the Raiders, they're bad dudes. Redd is no exception. He reminds me a lot of Jack Reacher, although more of a loose cannon.

Steck does a really good job giving background about Redd's life, without bogging the story down, and letting us see how that backstory drives Redd in his decision-making. The development of Redd's character is done in a way that truly adds to the narrative. So many times, authors try to force character development on readers in a way that just doesn't flow. Steck does a great job of developing Redd while advancing the overall story.

Another thing Steck does a good job of is introducing and developing auxiliary characters. Again, there are authors out there that introduce characters because, it feels, they realize they need to give the protagonist someone to interact with. There's very little or no connection made. Steck does a good job drawing the lines between his characters and, again, allowing those details to add to the story, not just be a sidebar or afterthought.

This book starts out full-speed and doesn't let off the gas. Steck gives us an action-packed adventure that makes it hard to put the book down and leaves us wanting more with each page.

With Fields of Fire, Steck has taken his knowledge of the genre and written a story that is original, but you can see the influences of Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Jack Carr, Kyle Mills, Mark Greaney and others. Steck is well on his way to being considered one of the top writers in this genre and Matthew Redd will end up being included in conversations with Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher and James Reece.

I can't wait to jump into the second Redd thriller, Lethal Range, and earlier this week it was announced that later this year we will get a prequel to Fields of Fire, titled Redd Christmas.

If you're a fan of this genre, I highly recommend the Matthew Redd series.