The best action book series with characters who are ex-military

Stephen Leather, 2019

My preference is for authors to develop a series for their characters in order for me to fully embrace the depth of the character, if the character is worth developing. I enjoy picking up a novel in which I am familiar with the character as it makes it easier for me to relate to them. The Spider Shepherd series is essential reading for me, and in particular this book. A book or two previously showed that Shepherd had finally healed enough, from his wife’s death, to find a new relationship. As a non-rule breaker, Shepherd shows that he will do what it takes to protect his family. The ending truly shocked me, leaving me chomping at the bit for the next one.

Lee Child, 2012

What I admire the most about Reacher is his sense of doing what’s right whether it is within the law or not. The next most appealing aspect of this series is his ability to use analytical rigor in order to work out what is going on. In this book, his ability to see beyond the low-hanging fruit of James Barr as the criminal, teaches us to see beyond what everyone wants us to see. This is becoming more and more apparent in life, for instance in some of the imagery coming out of Ukraine. I believe that people have lost the ability to think for themselves, which is why in my novel, Zenobia goes through a number of thought processes to make her decisions.

Robert White, 2021

At the start of this book, Rick Fuller has hit rock bottom. I won’t go into why for those who haven’t read it but it shows a real determination for someone to overcome tragedy and get themselves back into a functioning state while dealing with loss. The action throughout this book is very believable and Lauren North’s transformation throughout the series has inspired me to write about a strong female lead.