Hello there!

I am honored to be sharing with you all this month a fantastic thriller series from author Humphrey Hawksley, known as “A Rake Ozenna Thriller” series. The five-book series follows Rake Ozenna, an Alaskan National Guardsman who continuously finds himself immersed into international intrigue and devestating attacks that could have global rammifcations. Facing everything from lethal assassins and rogue agents, to deadly new superweapons and the perilious line that often brings the threat of WWIII to the forefront, Rake often finds himself the only thing standing between all out war and the rest of the world. Please enjoy the reviews for each of the five books in the series.

MAN ON ICE (BOOK ONE)

THE SYNOPSIS

An incident in the snows of Alaska could trigger the outbreak of World War III in this tense and twisting thriller.

When Rake Ozenna of the elite Eskimo Scouts brings his fiancée, trauma surgeon Carrie Walker, to his remote home island in the Bering Strait, they are faced immediately with a medical crisis. Then Russian helicopters swarm in.

America is on the eve of an acrimonious presidential transition and inauguration. As news breaks of a possible Russian invasion, Stephanie Lucas, British ambassador to Washington DC, is hosting a dinner for the president-elect.

Ozenna’s small Alaskan island community is suddenly caught in the crosshairs of sabre-rattling big powers. The only way to save his people is to undertake a perilous mission across the ice. Can he survive long enough to prevent a new world war breaking out?

THE REVIEW

This was a compelling and gripping geopolitical thriller. With tensions between the United States and Russia in constant flux, and the wilderness of Alaska still a point of contention, this near-future narrative does a wonderful job of immersing the reader into the frigid cold of the setting while also elevating the narrative with suspense and tension as the threat of World War III looms over the protagonist.

What keeps readers so invested in this story and the series going forward is the protagonist. The way Rake has to outsmart and outmaneuver his foes while also staying alive and trying to prevent all-out war keeps readers on the edge of their seats throughout the novel. The author’s understanding and detailed analysis of the geopolitical tensions that would mount in the wake of such an event, and the balance this brought to the protagonists and the cast of characters’ personal storytelling, made this story shine brightly.

RATING: 10/10

MAN ON EDGE (BOOK TWO)

THE SYNOPSIS

A tense and twisting espionage thriller involving state secrets, lethal assassins and the threat of a new Cold War.

Trauma surgeon Carrie Walker is taken aback when her estranged uncle makes contact out of the blue. Senior Russian naval officer Artyom Semenov claims to be in possession of an explosive piece of information which he is offering to share with the West. But can he be trusted?

Travelling to Moscow undercover to meet with Semenov, Carrie finds herself stranded when the carefully-planned operation goes catastrophically awry. In grave danger, there’s only one person she can turn to for help: her former fiancé, Major Rake Ozenna of the Alaska National Guard.

Aware how vital it is that he reaches Carrie before others do, Rake knows he’s pitted against a powerful and lethal enemy. But is it a rogue agent – or the Russian state? As preparations gather pace for a high-profile NATO exercise off the Norwegian coast, Rake must act fast if he is to prevent a global catastrophe.

THE REVIEW

An action-packed thriller, author Humphrey Hawksley has created a thrill ride of a novel. While I haven’t read the first book in the series, the author does a great job of gleaning into the backstory and history established in the first novel enough to create a clear picture of the major players of the narrative and their roles.

The buildup of suspense and heart-pounding action is equally matched to witty banter between characters and powerful character growth throughout the novel as well. Playing into the government agent versus the world theme, the author blends the shadowy government operations of a good thriller with the personal ups and downs of protagonist Rake and his on and off romance with Carrie. The backdrop of Russia and the surrounding areas felt relevant to the current political scene in the world, creating a deeper connection to the action of the novel’s plot overall.

RATING: 10/10

MAN ON FIRE (BOOK THREE)

THE SYNOPSIS

A tense firefight on the Russian-American border heralds the start of a terrifying high-stakes mission for special forces agent Major Rake Ozenna in this gripping espionage thriller.

Instructed to guide in a speed boat crossing from Russia in the Bering Strait, special forces Major Rake Ozenna watches in horror as the operation culminates in a fatal firefight – and the loss of vital intelligence of a deadly new weapon. A weapon of unimaginable power. A weapon that, if it were unleashed, would cripple civilization as we know it. But who sabotaged the mission? Who possesses the weapon – and what is their ultimate goal?

Rake’s search takes him to the remote outpost of Uelen on the Russian coast – and the discovery that he is up against a formidable enemy from his past. As world leaders gather in Bonn for the signing of the new European security treaty, Rake enters a desperate race against time to prevent a catastrophe beyond imagining.

This fast-paced, impeccably researched, highly topical thriller is perfect for readers of CLIVE CUSSLER, LEE CHILD and ROBERT LUDLUM.

THE REVIEW

This was an immersive and compelling read. The author takes the hero of this series and transports him from his home of Alaska to the shores of Russia, where an elusive and conniving foe from his past holds the key to this mystery and Rake is pushed to new limits. The action never lets up, and allows readers to feel the intensity and the thrills that the action brings to the forefront while also allowing plenty of room for readers to get more info on their favorite action hero of this series, delving into his past and exploring how that has informed his mindset moving forward into the present.

The author does a marvelous job of really honing in on the seting, not only delving into the espionage and international thriller elements of the overall thriller genre, but bringing an atmosphere of Cold War era tension that is as gripping as the action itself. Rake is the central focus of the novel, and brings an authentic, tough and gritty exterior that leans into that action packed, special forces mindset that his character has evolved into.

Rating: 10/10

ICE ISLANDS (BOOK FOUR)

THE SYNOPSIS

On an inhospitable frozen island, Rake Ozenna must gain the trust of a young woman fleeing a Japanese crime empire and caught in the crosshairs of the Russian government.

“Another outstanding geopolitical thriller in Hawksley’s excellent Rake Ozenna series . . . carefully researched, action-packed, and suspenseful” –Booklist Starred Review

Major Rake Ozenna’s mission is simple: gain access to the Kato family – Japan’s most dangerous crime empire.

But when the secret son of the Russian leader is executed and Rake’s target, Sara Kato, is implicated in the murder, a political crisis between Russia, Japan and the US is set in motion.

As Rake learns the true extent of their deadly plans, he must draw on every ounce of his training to succeed. Because if he fails, it won’t just be his life that will be lost . . . the consequences will be global.

THE REVIEW

This was such a cinematic and captivating international thriller! The author ramps up the narrative of this series greatly by honing in on a mixture of global high-stakes action and intimate and more personal character-driven mysteries. The globe-trotting settings really made this feel like a modern-day Netflix action thriller movie, while the tension and balance of politics with organized crime in the narrative added such depth to the story itself.

Yet it was the rich character growth that the author utilized in this narrative that really made the action and setting pop on the page. The mystery surrounding this Russian President’s son’s murder and the daughter of a Japanese criminal all felt both engaging and yet realistic to the current political and criminal climates our world is facing. However, it was the protagonist’s story that really drew me in as a reader, showcasing his heroism and yet also showing his struggle with learning more about his family’s past and trying to separate himself from any feelings involving his target, making this such a rich and dynamic story to read.

RATING: 10/10

OPERATION ICEBREAKER (BOOK FIVE)

THE SYNOPSIS

One lie ignites the Arctic. One man can stop the war.

It was meant to be a routine visit. It became a bloodbath.

Major Rake Ozenna flies into America’s most remote Arctic base with two things: a friendship exchange to lead, and a plan to walk away from war for good. He brings Jessie with him, nineteen years old, the finest ivory carver in Alaska, the boy Rake raised like a brother.

Hours later Jessie is dead. Shot at point-blank range on a polished wood floor, under a banner that reads Greenland-Alaska Friendship Exchange.

Washington blames Inuit extremists. Rake knows that’s a lie. He saw the assassins moving through the whiteout, and the autopsy proves an execution.

Because someone inside the Pentagon needs this massacre. Needs the outrage. Needs a reason for America to take Greenland from Denmark and call it protection.

Now Rake is a fugitive from his own country. His only allies are a trauma surgeon he has never been able to get out of his mind, and a British baroness working the back channels of Downing Street. His only proof is a body he carried home himself.

From the ice fields north of Qaanaaq to Washington and London and back to the top of the world, Rake has days to stop a war between America and its closest allies.

He isn’t doing it for NATO. He’s doing it for a boy who carved Rake’s face into a mammoth tusk and never got to finish the eyes.

Operation Icebreaker is the fifth Rake Ozenna thriller. Every book stands alone. Perfect for readers of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor and Mark Greaney.

THE REVIEW

This may be Rake’s most personal and heartbreaking yet determined mission yet. Flipping the script and making him a fugtive from the government he spent so long serving, the author adds a new element of intrigue and suspense to Rake’s story that hasn’t been explored before. The personal loss of this young man that had become practically family to him was an emotional loss that informed much of his journey, and the mystery behind the assassins that committed the crime and the way the plot mirrors some of the rhetoric from current government officials regarding Greenland was more layers that made this book truly shine.

The psychological impact of the protagonist’s journey and the way the story pulls Rake across the world ot multiple locations was astonishing to see come to lfie on the page, highlighting the author’s ability to weave powerful imagery into their writing style while bringing intense action and tense character growth to the narrative. The fast pacing of the narrative itself and the shocking twists and turns the story takes will have readers on the edge of their seats as the reality of this plot comes to fruition.

RATING: 10/10

FINAL VERDICT

An explosive, action-packed and thrilling espionage style thriller series, the author delivers non-stop suspense and drama while capturing a Cold War era settings and tone that will resonate with fans of the genre. What makes this series so fun is that readers can dive into each book individually without prior knowledge of the books that came before them, but those who do read the entire series will still see an evolution and an emotional arc to this character that will both resonate with readers and drive them to read more of this series if they have not already done so. If you havne’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of each of these books and check out the series today!

OVERALL RATING: 10/10

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Humphrey Hawksley is an author, podcast host, commentator and journalist. His reporting with the BBC has taken him to crises around the world. The three books in his future history series — Dragonstrike, Dragonfire and The Third World War — have been praised as authentic, catastrophic scenarios which begin with a Chinese strike in the South China Sea. His Rake Ozenna espionage thriller series is set in the Arctic and High North, beginning with with Man on Ice, a Russian invasion of the Alaskan island of Little Diomede. Rake is an island native and a special forces veteran with the Alaska National Guard. The late, great Nelson de Mille applaused Rake as being smart and tough, ‘and we’re glad to have him on our side.’ Humphrey’s non-fiction work includes Democracy Kills: What’s So Good About Having The Vote, published during the Iraq civil war and Asian Waters: The Struggle over the Indo-Pacific and the Challenge to American Power which examines the impact of Chinese expansion in Asia. Humphrey hosts the bi-monthly Democracy Forum Debates. His work has appeared in most mainstream media outlets and he has been a guest speaker at think-tanks and universities around the world.