Total Blackout cover art

Total Blackout

A Jack Tate SAS Thriller, Book 1

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Total Blackout

By: Alex Shaw
Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
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About this listen

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE

The start of a gripping new crime thriller series introducing ex-SAS trooper Jack Tate!

‘Looking for breakneck pace and a relentless hero? Alex Shaw has you covered’ James Swallow

Don’t miss the explosive start to the Jack Tate series.

When the lights go out…
British MI6 agent, and former SAS trooper, Jack Tate is trying to escape his past when he witnesses a terrorist attack of unthinkable scale. An electro-magnetic pulse knocks out the US power grid, killing anything with a computer processor, throwing the whole country into darkness.

You have to escape the past.
Under the cover of the blackout, a clandestine operation aims to assassinate prominent public figures on US soil. Looting and violence spreads across the country. And Jack Tate’s past comes back to haunt him. As the only intelligence operative on the ground, he is hurled into a mission that will put him – and the people he loves – in immediate danger.

You have to defeat the enemy.
With the fate of the United States on the line, only he can prevent the horror of a new world war.

Perfect for fans of James Deegan, Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney, this is an explosive action thriller you won’t be able to stop thinking about.

‘Compelling and authentic. An explosive new series with an uncompromising hero’ Tom Wood

‘Jack Tate is a powerful character, a true Brit hero. A cracking start to a new series!’ Alan McDermott

‘Alex Shaw is a master of the action thriller. Grabbed me from the first page and never let go’ Michael Ridpath

©2020 Alex Shaw (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Action & Adventure Espionage Fiction Genre Fiction Military Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense War & Military Thriller Scary War

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Critic reviews

"Looking for breakneck pace and a relentless hero? Alex Shaw has you covered." (James Swallow)

"Alex Shaw is one of the best thriller writers around! Fast paced, Total Blackout gripped from page one and didn’t let go...as fast as a Hollywood movie." (Stephen Leather)

All stars
Most relevant
I was captivated by the story and I think I will enjoy this series of books. I really like the characters and it is well narrated with no ridiculous sounding accents. I think the author took a few shortcuts to make the story work though which just made it a bit far fetched but I liked it nonetheless. If you like Jack Reacher, the Gray Man, John Milton and characters and stories of that ilk, I am sure you will like this Jack Tate novel.

Entertaining read - recommended

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The book gripped from start to finish making you ignore the pause button and the only disappointment is that you are left wanting the next book!!
Great performance by Leighton Pugh too an important part of any book.

Gripping listen from start to finish!!

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a good story well read. easy listening and interesting plot. a new hero emerges. Jack is not as complex as other heroes but has a down to earth believable character. very enjoyable.

Well read

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A great book from start to finish, plenty to twist and turns. Kept you gripped till the end.

Gripping

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Very good story great plot I liked how exciting it was and the story really hooked me to listen to more by this author.

Great story

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A bit ‘clunky’ in places and a tad over long but OK to listen to.

An OK Listen

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A new novelists for a fiftieth STORY FITHTHor democracy LEADS THE CHARCE ON ANTI COMMUNISM.

A great new thriller novelist to join the ranks.

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This could have been so much better. Dodgy dialogue not helping the story, cliché in places. Lee Child much better.

No Jack Reacher

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I’m only on chapter 4 but I’m seriously struggling with this narrator - he reads like it’s a parody. Males all sound like Donald trump and women sound like Marge Simpson or whiny 6 year olds.

The book is probably quite intelligently written but it certainly hasn’t been read intelligently at all. I hate the children’s story reading style.

Painful narrator

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First book by this author throughly enjoyed. Good story line could possible happen, well performed.

First book by this author throughly enjoyed.

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