Betrayal: Ryan Drake, Book 3

Betrayal seeks to spread its scope beyond the two previous entries by bringing in more first person perspective from other characters but still respects the main character(s). Anya is easily more fleshed out as a character with lengthy memories from her past ranging from childhood to juvenile to CIA asset. Her character has some particularly difficult moments to read describing torture sessions and the effect that has had on her.Ryan's obsession with Anya is taken further here as he toes the line between finding her and preventing her capture by the people he is working with. It can be frustrating at times seeing how suicidal his pursuit can be but it makes sense for his character considering his history with her.Samantha McKnight rises as an unlikely driving force. Previously she was mostly an attachement to Drake's squad who aided in his investigation but now she stands up to Drake, challenging his judgements at times, and leads Frost in a whole parallel investigation for a good section of the book.The last section of the book becomes a little confusing as many threads are brought together in basically the same scene. A LOT happens in this one scene and i had to re-read it a few times to really understand what exactly it all meant, but it is not inaccessible.This entry seems to mark a major shift in the characters, their motivations, and the whole trajectory of the series. There is a sense of foreboding as another piece of the puzzle is added and as we really begin to understand Anya and her motivations. Drake's conflicted feelings towards Anya have him bouncing between hopeful and hateful towards her without coming to a greater understanding about himself and his feelings.Still, I enjoyed the book and the clever use of parallel perspectives that give secondary characters a chance to shine and stand out. I look forward to the rest of the series.

I bought this book to support Will Jordan, aka the Critical Drinker on YouTube. The series is fairly interesting, but not compelling. After this, I felt I'd done my bit, so I doubt I'll buy more installments. If you like Tom Clancy, you'll like Will Jordan. Technology rules. Everything has a brand name. The characters are interesting enough, but I can live without knowing what happens to them next. It's kind of interesting that these books are written in the British state-school idiom, so that a sedan is a saloon, the sidewalk is the pavement, and single people sometimes get called "them" and have plural verbs, more often than in American usage.

Will Jordan writes realistic, lengthy, thrillers, full of twists and turns, and unexpected surprises. Again, while the story centers around Ryan Drake, it also involves the enigma, Anya, the strong, intelligent, slightly mysterious woman Drake is dedicated to helping, regardless of the cost. This book takes us to Russia, deep into dark conspiracies involving the KGB and FSB. I cannot reveal much more without revealing plot details. Will Jordan writes realistic thrillers. His characters can be hurt, can bleed, and can make mistakes. The realism makes the books more enjoyable. Ryan Drake isn't a superman. He gets tired, suffers injury, and is far from perfect. But that is what makes these books a bit different. The humanity Ryan Drake displays is what makes the character enjoyable. Again, this is a labyrinthian thriller full of twists and turns, and a lengthy read. If you enjoy military-political thrillers that require you to pay attention, you will enjoy this series.

As has been the case with the first two books in this series, "Betrayal" is fast paces without being superficial, with realistic, consistent plotting and well-crafted characters (with strengths _and_ weaknesses, plausible motivations, and behavior that makes sense). Like many readers of this series, I came to Will Jordan's works via his "Critical Drinker" YouTube channel, in which he reviews films and TV series. Jordan's very solid understanding of storytelling, very much in evidence in his reviews, also shines in these books.

I got hooked on the Drake series through a contest Will announced on his YouTube channel, The Critical Drinker. (An unexpected but pleasant extra is that I hear his voice as the narrator for the books, which fits pretty good).I didn't know what to expect, but I was very pleasantly surprised about how good these books are. Short chapters with lots of twists and interesting twists make the Drake series super enjoyable.Easy read with awesome characters. They should make these a movie or TV show.

I first heard of Will via YouTube and his The Critical Drinker series. I was surprised by the laugh out loud cleverness and sarcasm he always delivers. When I found out through the series that he was an author of thrillers, I picked up Redemption. Loved every page! Great character development, smart pacing, and plenty of twists along the way. Just finished the third with no intention of slowing down. Thanks Will!

The Ryan Drake series continues to mature as I read form book to book. Great plot twists, and not beyond reason or out of character for the book series. I continue to read the series and it it totally enjoyable.

Betrayal. So many twists and turns. So many details, I could "see" everything. Sweet, sad, ending. Epilogue forced me to immediately get the next book in the Ryan Drake series! Narrator Sam Devereaux is absolutely superb!

Having now completed the first three books of this series I must say I have found them very enjoyable. They are well paced stories with action, details with later pay offs and interesting characters. Perhaps most encouraging is not noticing the time pass as you follow the story. Would certainly recommend to anyone who likes action, spy or espionage style stories. I will certainly be continuing the series.

A great page turner title. Admittedly I tried the will Jordan / Ryan drake books on a whim and do love them. Anya is back in the story and is a pretty interesting character all together something which other titles lack I feel in the genre so its a refreshing change. Her back story and much of the book does require you to read the prior two books to get a full understanding, but that's not a bad thing as they are also great titles. Like the other books, did not realise I finished the book in nearly one sitting!A great title all together and really looking forward to other titles.

I have now read the first 3 books of the Ryan Drake series by Will Jordan and I can honestly say each book keeps bringing me back for more and more.The 3 books all follow on in such a way that you must read them in sequence as you do not want to miss how they feed from each other.Will Jordan may be a relatively young author but he sure knows how to keep the story on edge and interesting.I cannot say how this story will finish but bring on book number 4

Great storytelling style. I would recommend you read books 1 & 2 first to get a fuller flavour. I would heartily recommend this series. If you enjoy Vince Flynn, Ben Coes, Lee Child etc. you will enjoy Will Jordan

Couldn't put this book down, fantastic read all the way through.You get a better insight into Anya's struggle through the years.Can't wait until the next one :)