Remote Control - Andy McNab

After reading Recoil last week and enjoying it so much I figured I would go about trying to read all the books in order - an idea reinforced by happening across Remote Control in a charity shop a few days ago and picking it up for the bargain price for 99p!
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So, here we find ourselves at the start of the Nick Stone series. It's been ten years since I read this book and it was really great to read it again. It's even more gritty and action-packed than I remember it being which is why I read it so quick coz I couldn't put the thing down!
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This story is about government greed, corruption and betrayal all interlaced with the relationship between Nick and Kelly as he tries to uncover what is going on whilst on the run with a seven-year old in tow. Stone is working for The Firm on deniable operations and is sent to the States to follow two known PIRA (Provisional Irish Republican Army) players. Just after landing however, the operation is pulled unexpectedly and he's ordered back to the UK immediately. Killing time between his flight out he visits his old mate Kev and finds the family slaughtered in their own home. Only Kelly, their daughter, has survived. The Firm refuse to help Stone out of the situation due to him being in the States on a deniable op and will only do so should Stone manage to find his way back to England with sufficient evidence behind the killings - thanks very much!
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With Stone now being the key suspect in the murder, thus ensues an action packed tale of chases, fights, dingy hotel rooms, and the search to uncover the truth where he can only rely on others for help. The thing I really like about this book and others of McNab's that I've read is that he's not afraid to tackle the subject of the plan going wrong. His books are not like Hollywood movies where the plan always works and the good guy comes out smelling of roses. He knows people make mistakes and screw up and with a seven-year old as an accomplice there is ample opportunity to explore this. The story is dead easy to read and the pace rarely slows, and with a wicked twist at the end it really makes a great read. McNab's descriptions of people and methaphors on occasion had me laughing out loud as we get a taste of Stone's sarcasm and wit regarding his situations.
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The way McNab deals with the relationship between Stone and Kelly is also brilliant and always honest. He identifies the difficulties of not only being on the run with a child, but how difficult it can be for someone who's not used to dealing with kids to try and coerce them into doing what he needs whilst trying to help her come to terms with the death of her family (something which he initially tries to side-step). From taking her from the the horrors of her home with the intention of off-loading her onto someone else, to eventually wanting to protect her himself and get revenge for her fathers death you can see how Stone's attitude to his responsibility changes as the story develops. I think it's the way McNab deals with these dynamics that make his books appeal to both sexes: action stuff for the men; emotional stuff for the women - and vice versa of course : )
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The only down-sides to the book that I can see are the fact that NcNab seems to repeat some descriptions found in the first chapter later in the book pretty much word for word (copy-editor was obviously asleep), and with a cool "Macgyver"-esque scenario at the end of the book it ends a bit too abruptly for my liking. However, it's still a cracking read with loads of intrigue and action which personally leave me gagging for the next installment. Off to search the thrift shops I go!

Recoil - Andy McNab

Now, Andy McNab I think, is one of those writers whose fiction books you'll either like or you won't. His language is incredibly basic, no frills and with metaphors and character analogies so unpretentious they come across as refreshingly honest. However, the basic 'squaddie' language I think is the whole part of their charm and style and what makes his books so great to read - you really get a sense that he know's what he's taking about when he writes which of course, being ex-SAS, he absolutely does. His writing comes from experience and this really comes through when you read and makes his action scenes come to life. Personally, anyone who says that McNab's books are rubbish obviously hasn't read any of them.
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Recoil is the 9th book in the series following the character of Nick Stone. I have read the first three in the series: Remote Control, Crisis Four and Firewall which have given the reader a great deal of info on Stone's character, the reasons why he is the way he is and how he came to become guardian of his dead mate's daughter, Kelly. As Recoil is the 9th in the series he doesn't touch on the Kelly issue at all so I guess the major questions get answered in books 4-8. In Recoil however, Stone thinks he's fallen in love and it's interesting to see McNab tackle some of those issues that he hadn't in the others that I've read so far. The story this time is based in Africa where Stone travels to retrieve his girlfriend who's run off to do relief work in the war-torn Congo jungle. Ultiimately they realise they don't know each other at all what with them both being at either ends of the social spectrum - him with a gun in his hand and shooting people and her with a medic degree and patching up the mess. Most of the story is taken up with Stone and some of his old crew helping to defend the tin mine from the militant LRG who are good at using the local malnourished kids to fight their war. As with the other books you don't really need to read it in series order as each has it's own story you can read independently which is great if you just want to pick up an easy read you can really get into and probably finish in a weekend. McNab's books are great for this especially if you want the thrill of the chase without having to plough through a whole lot of political mumbo jumbo like you get in, say, Ludlum's novels (which incidently are fantasic books if you are in for the whole story with all it's political in's and out's and twists and turns etc. I can particularly recommend The Altman Code). This book is great for a beach read or if you want a weekend quickie and won't fail to deliver action - you'll probably even pick up a handy SAS tip or two! All in all a great read and with McNab's field experience and no-nonsence prose you really get the feel of being out there in the middle of it all.
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And at the end of the day, whether you like McNab or not, parts of the story are heart-breaking and harrowing and bring up some really thought-provoking points about how we in the West live and the inpact this has on the third-world, and in my opinion this can never be a bad thing.

Okay, here goes...

Okay, I've read so many books in my past 27 years now that I can't possibly start to list them all so after this little intro we'll start with the current one and go from there, sometimes adding in thoughts or other bits of relevent or interesting (?!) info along the way on previous books I've read. I should also mention that I'm a total blog virgin so if anyone else out there decides to read my random meanderings be gentle!!

Anyway, a brief bit about me and why I love books: I am a total daydreamer and my head is always off in the clouds. Unfortuately I have to come back to planet Earth to go to work and pay bills etc, but if my nose isn't in a book then my head is totally off somewhere else - so I apologise if I go off on a tangent sometimes! Books provide my escape from the world (being a pisces it is far too harsh for me!) and I love the fact that no matter where you are or how crappy life is being, you can open up a book and be off somewhere else in an instant. I guess that's why I like movies too but books are by far my favourite medium. Anyway, I'll be back soon with the first book log/review thingy...

P.s. Just to add that my tastes are pretty eclectic so be prepared for a whole range of stuff that probably won't come in any particular order other than in which they were read!