The Green Viper by Rob Sinclair

Following the shocking events of The Silver Wolf, James Ryker is back. James Ryker receives a coded message through a secret drop point, a means of communication known only to him and one other person. The problem is, that person is his ex-boss, Mackie... and he’s already dead.But the cry for help is real, and it’s a request Ryker can’t refuse.Travelling to New York alone and without official sanction, Ryker has a single goal in mind, yet even he couldn’t have bargained for the violent world he’s soon embroiled in. Caught in the middle of a spiraling chaos, with the FBI on one side and warring underworld bosses on the other, Ryker must put all of his skills to the test in order to come out on top and keep his word. In a world full of lies and deceit, loyalty is everything, and it’s time for James Ryker to pay his dues.

Having sold over half a million copies, best-selling author Rob Sinclair is back with another installment in the James Ryker series. Having graduated from Nottingham University in 2002, Sinclair spent 13 years working for a global accounting firm, before a promise to his wife to write a 'can't put down' thriller, led to a full time career as a writer. 

Sinclair has built a fascinating character in James Ryker/Carl Logan -assured, level-headed and calm in the face of danger, but also flawed, human, and hugely likeable. Building over the character of a number of books has allowed Sinclair to create a character that feels extremely real - and having read the character for some time now, he's always one I look forward to revisiting. 

In The Green Viper, the reader is plunged straight into the action - and Sinclair doesn't let up on the pace. It makes for a fast, easy read full of twists - but Sinclair's skill as a writer ensures that he backs all of the style with a serious amount of substance.
Taking the reader on a transatlantic journey, Sinclair described both London and New York with an easy sense of familiarity -the descriptions never labored, but ensuring that one is swiftly transported. From there, a fascinating plot unfolds that involves the FBI, a complex cast of characters,  a healthy dose of betrayal, and a breathtaking climax that is spread out over several action packed-chapters. Many action thrillers tend to be quite shallow, but that certainly isn't the case with The Green Viper. Sinclair is clear to show that the decisions of his characters have consequences, and as such moments in The Green Viper pack some serious emotional heft -with the reader rooting for Ryker throughout. The climax is satisfying, but the door is very clearly left open for another book in the series, and I'll be very keen to see exactly what kind of trouble James Ryker will be getting into next time...