A Thriller (The Logan West Thrillers Book 1)

This novel hits the ground running. Logan West, a highly decorated former Marine and a relapsing alcoholic, wakes up after lying unconscious on his basement floor for 40 hours, only to find a stranger watching him with obvious evil intent.
Not to give anything away, the action never stops till the end of the book. It left me breathless!
West is a very real hero, plagued by alcohol and PTSD, and about to be divorced by his wife, whom he loves. But he becomes involved in an
intricate plot involving a weapon of mass destruction and a hair raising chase against time to prevent its use.
You won't be able to put this book down! I can't wait for Matthew Betley's next book.

I heard a radio interview with the author and immediately ordered the book.
It's hard to believe this is a first novel. So much action and intrigue.
I loved it and look forward to his next book.

This book had an interesting story, but the characterizations ruined it for me. Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath usually don't have monologues in their mind thinking how badass they are. Every other sentence in this book is a description of how badass the Marines are. We get it !

Matthew Betley is the real deal. Overwatch is one of the best debut novels I've read in recent memory, and there's a reason why people are already comparing Betley to Brad Thor and Brad Taylor. Logan West (Betley's protagonist) is a deeply, yet brilliantly flawed character who is unique and unlike the other heroes in the genre. Logan West is a former Marine who suffers from PTSD, and is a raging alcoholic. He packs a smart mouth and a unique skill set, which he uses to rid the world of bad guys--and anyone standing in his way. When the leader of an unknown terrorist group targets Logan by taking his wife, a move designed to make West spill information, he has no idea what a fatal mistake that decision was. Logan West is not somebody you want to piss off, but it sure it fun watching him go after the guys who were stupid enough to slap the bull on rear!

Betley writes with laser-like precision, and has the talent to become one of the genre's biggest stars. Overwatch is 2016's first great political thriller, and a must-read for fans of Clancy, Ludlum, Thor and Taylor.

Idiotic. I love this genre- Thor, Battles, Berenson, Fury, Greaney, Flynn, Gilstap, etc. The author assumes that that the villains are extremely well funded and politically connected, but are criminally simpleminded . By chapter 2 rather than having the villains simply offer to buy a paper map of Iraq taken as a souvenir in during Iraqi Freedom or exploring which of three or four homes may have it on the wall and burglarizing it, the author assumes the villains would rather commit massive mayhem, murder and kidnapping using several, highly paid teams of ex-special forces mercenaries. Moreover, by their overt criminal actions the villains trigger the top counter-terrorism groups in the FBI to explore their activities which otherwise would go unnoticed. Had the stupidity ended there, the book's action scenes might overcome these weaknesses. But it doesn't end there. Scenario after scenario, right up to the epilogue, the silliness continues. Don't read the following if you are at all worried about spoilers (I don't actually spoil anything, but you best not read this if your cautious).
At one point the U.S's most sought after criminal; a man capable of, and intent on starting WWIII, is in a secure facility protected by several squadrons of marines- on the ground, in the air and on the surrounding water. They know who he is. But he gets away after shooting a highly protected person in front of several Marine aides to this person. The three main protagonists are former force recon marines, two of which despite having an inability to hold a job or keep a relationship due to severe PTSD (and one has severe alcoholism), can out-shoot, out-think, out-fight in hand-to-hand combat, and out-strategize all the other good guys and bad guys combined-even with a hangover.
The following is absolutely a spoiler, so read with caution: At the climax, the bad guy is near his target with a WMD and can set it off with just a few settings and button presses. One of the tired protagonists is chasing the villain on foot, but another man has the villain in his sights with a rifle. Rather than ensure the world escapes imminent commencement of WWIII with a simple rifle shot, the other protagonist pushes the rifle barrel away so his buddy-protagonist can have a "sporting" chance to beat the guy up in hand-to-hand combat.
This biggest question is why did Simon and Schuster agree to publish this nonsense- Batman is more realistic

Matthew Betley has managed to do the nearly impossible: stand out in the crowded action thriller field. Logan West is the next great action here, and Overwatch, Betley’s new book, is a great start to the series.

Overwatch starts the action on page one and keeps it going to the last page. Logan West and a handful of main characters are introduced and sketched out quickly, but with enough depth to hook you and keep you interested. Battle-scarred veterans with the intelligence and experience to make them credible and dangerous. The scars are emotional as well as physical and one of the things I appreciated most about this book was that Betley didn’t ignore the flaws in his heroes, particularly Logan West. His problems are real, they have consequences and he has to deal with them or be done in by them.

The action in Overwatch travels across the United States, into Mexico and on the other side of the world in Iraq. The enemy is smart, tough, and with a plan that is both realistic and frightening. Betley ties Logan West’s past and present together in a clever way that explains both why he was targeted and why he has the skills and motivation to pursue the enemy. The battle scenes are gritty, exciting and well-written. Mike Benson, Logan’s friend in the FBI is an interesting character that I would have liked to have known a little more about. John Quick, Logan’s old gunnery sergeant, is a tough as nails old soldier and a great character in his own right. Put them all together and you’ve got one great book.

Great characters, great writing, interesting plot and non-stop action. That’s your formula and Matthew Betley nails it. Sign me up for the next Logan West adventure. Fans of Vince Flynn, Brad Taylor, Lee Child, Brad Thor have a new series to check out. Overwatch is highly recommended.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.

Given that "Overwatch" has really high reviews on the store, I was quite disappointed that it wasn't any better than it is. It's not bad; it's just nothing special.

Logan West, a former soldier, is the protagonist. Much was made in the reviews about his vulnerability as an alcoholic, but this is a very small part of the book. In fact, it really only appears at the beginning where he wakes up from a massive hangover, only to take out a baddie who's described as clearly having had special forces training.

These same bad guys then go attack a fellow former soldier of Logan's to get an Iraqi flag and it takes quite a while to understand why. And of course all the while, something big and bad's expected to happen. When we find out what that is (finally) it's quite a let down (and maybe, arguably, not a bad idea anyway).

Those comparing Logan West to Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, etc. see something I don't. Again, not bad; just not great.

I heard about Overwatch last fall from Ryan Steck who runs both "Ryan the Rappologist" and @therealbookspy on Twitter. He said that Betley was going to be an author with a lot of headwind that's going to jump in on the thriller genre and make a name for himself! He nailed it right on the head, from the first few pages to the last few it is a non stop fast action thrill fest!

Betley does a great job of detailing the characters to allow you to get a great idea and feeling of who they are pretty easily. I felt it allowed the flow of the book to go smoother, not trying to understand why someone is a certain way, especially with a new author cementing himself so quickly!

Another key part of this adventure with Logan West is the ability to make it seem so authentic. Mr. Betley served and wore our nations cloth and that alone gives him the insight to give the pages the ability to come to life. You won't be disappointed in this one and it's definitely one that should leave a mark for years to come. If you enjoy Flynn, Thor, Taylor, Hood then you will enjoy Betley then!!!

Logan West and Gunny are profiled in the early years following 9/11/01. During an ops in Iraq and Iran, Logan and his team of Marines are led into a rescue that turns into an ambush and loss of several men and the hostage they were to rescue. Logan takes an Iraqi flag that had been used as a backdrop for enemy propaganda, unaware of the significance of the act. This story tells the whole story, the action, and the real traitor behind the entire plot to destroy the Iranian government by detonating a nuclear weapon that was left behind when Iraq was invaded in 03. The action is swift, twisted, and horrific events that dedicated men and women of our military endure to keep our country safe from the enemy. This is a great read.

I was given the privilege of getting an advance copy of Over Watch, and I could not put it down. If you love thrillers, this book is for you! If you've served in the Military and deployed to Iraq, this book is for you! If you're a Marine like me, this book is definitely for you! Honestly, any thriller fan will appreciate the fast paced, non-stop action this debut thriller offers. But for us Marines who have spent time in the sand box, this book speaks to you. Logan West is formidable and strong on par with Mitch Rapp with a background that rivals Scot Harvath and Mason Kane, but finally one with a Marine Corps background. On that note, the humor in this book will leave you laughing along every time. The action will keep you on the edge of your seat and the anticipation of what's to come is sure to make this book one of those very few books you just have to read in one sitting. Great job Matthew Betley, can't wait for the next one!

Matthew Betley has delivered an absolutely fantastic debut novel! OVERWATCH is non-stop action from page one and fans of the thriller genre will quickly realize that Matthew Betley is a major new player in the game. OVERWATCH introduces readers to a new and complex protagonist, Logan West. In my opinion West is one of the most interesting leading characters introduced to the genre in sometime. He is a multi-dimensional character who isn't another carbon copy of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp or Brad Thor's Scot Harvath (the two best in the genre). In West, Betley has provided readers with a unique and different take on what an American hero can look like. The deep emotional anguish and troubling personal flaws of West make him a compelling character that draws you in. To go along with the compelling lead character, Betley provides the reader with extremely realistic action throughout the novel. Betley knows how to craft a gritty and high octane action set piece. He delivers a number of highly memorable set pieces (my favorite takes place in San Antonio) throughout the story and believe me if you love action you will love this book. As someone who reads pretty much everything released in this genre I’d have to say that OVERWATCH is one of my favorite novels of the past few years. The pacing, character development and use of suspense is well beyond what I would expect from a debut novelist. This book is a must read for fans of Flynn, Thor, Clancy, etc. You will fall in love with the book like I did and won’t be able to put it down. There is no doubt in my mind that Matthew Betley will be a New York Times Bestseller. Highly recommended!

I gave this book a chance after reading an online review. I was disappointed. Many of the actions should have had major consequences, but those consequences seemed to just vanish. Since I was not invested with the character (and not really given a chance to), I did not enjoy the snarky comments or banter between the characters. It almost felt like the book was written for Marines (who would understand the references, brotherhood, etc.) rather than people in the general public. I ended up skimming the last 1/3 of the book, hoping to see an improvement, but I was disappointed. I will go elsewhere in the future.

Prose was a bit adolescent but then again readers like me are a bit adolescent for even reading this genre. One nit is the call in the plaza where Logan West notes that the agent is shot down by a 7.62. It's a very unlikely round for a sniper and how does West even know the caliber without a forensic investigation.
Edit: Upon further investigation, the 7.62 x 51 nearly identical to the .308 Winchester which is the (a?) sniper round for the U.S. military, so my mistake. Also, 7.62 x 54 is a Russian sniper round, although the snipers in the book weren't Russian IIRC. 7.62 x 39 is the AK47 round. The AK47 is totally unsuitable as a sniper rifle due to poor accuracy at longer range.

Like all action thrillers, this one had to stretch the membrane of believability in order to tell it's story. The size of the web the writer weaved, in order to create this tale was impressive in it's scope. Would this be likely in real life? As has been stated many times, many ways....truth is often stranger than fiction. I bought this book knowing it was a work of fiction. And I enjoyed it as such. It was an imaginative piece of work that I found riveting in action and intelligent in it's construct. Will most definitely include more works by the author in my future reading.

A complete waste of time. The plot is totally predictable, The characters are unbelievable, super trained, super bodied, super shots, able to experience super pain and continue pushing ahead, men with a major bent for serious violence. There are multiple, very detailed descriptions of hand to hand combat and lots of detailed dying. Oh, and all of the characters are super patriots who are willing to die for their country to kill the crummy enemy. And....they all know the President. Please, spare me.

Logan West is an alcoholic veteran battling his Iraqi demons and so the action begins. He takes on the assaults of contract killer teams linked to his past. Bentley uses flashbacks along with fast paced action to put together a storyline linked to that period of his deployment that is hard to put down. There is murder and traitorous conduct, as well as support from deployed Marine units, the FBI, CIA and the Mexican government. There is retribution but not the end of the beginning.

This book slogs along from one totally unbelievable situation to the next. I say slogs because so many many hyped up descriptions of the characters designed to make them invincible and almost superhuman are interspersed with long winded descriptions of every weapon system and bullet that I was almost lulled to sleep between the bouts of unbelievable action. I won't be back for book 2.

Interesting and well-written. Little bit clichéd, with the loner tough guy with a personal problem that he needs to fight through. He just wants to be left alone, but folks come at him, make things personal, and then he fights back. Sort of in a Jack Reacher being, but with a bit more personal damage to the protagonist. Fits the genre well and I would consider reading additional books in the series.

Emily Bestler Books found a winner when they inked Matthew Betley to write Overwatch! I have read a LOT of thrillers and this novel goes to the top of my favorite authors in one swoop! As a retired Army officer myself, I pay particular attention to detail on whether military genre novels stay authentic - and Betley proved to be one of the best there. His character and story development is Ludlum-esque ... I found myself riveted to what was coming around the next corner. Betley also has serious skills cultivating current hot topic issues into a novel that seems all too real!

I highly recommend you read Overwatch - strap in and hang on as your follow Logan West from start to finish. This is a MUST read for thriller and action junkies.

P.S. My favorite part ... book 2 will be coming out in 2017!

If you enjoy reading spy thrillers from authors like Brad Thor and Vince Flynn, then you need to pick up Matthew Betley's Overwatch. It's a phenomenal debut thriller! I especially enjoyed reading the fight scenes from multiple perspectives, including both the good and bad guys. You'll be able to see the action unfold from each participant's viewpoint, which really brings it all to life in your imagination.

With a frightening plot, and non-stop action from start to finish, this is one you won't be able to put down!

I like military thrillers and I know they're seldom great literature, but this one has to be one of the worst written books I ever read. Clunky and dumb. A half-literate teenager can write better than this. The publisher should be thoroughly ashamed of itself.

When a friend recommended Over Watch I have to confess, it had been a little while since I'd read a thriller, but after Over Watch I'm hooked, and you will be too. Betley's vivid descriptions and exceptional attention to detail make this a novel you won't be able to put down. I made through over a hundred pages the first time I started reading. Some writers have 'it' and Matthew Betley is definitely one of them. The book is fast paced, with accurate and insightful details and you can tell he draws on his personal experiences in the Marine Corps. He draws you in with the humanity of his characters and keeps you on the edge of your seat with a tension that runs through every page. I can't wait for the next book in the Logan West series. Thank you Matthew Betley for getting me back to the thriller genre. His books are the perfect summer time beach read. You will NOT be disappointed-this is military action fiction as it is meant to be. You won't be able to put this book down.

This exceptionally violent novel is not for everyone. If you want to see a good guy v. bad guy battle go all out, with high stakes for everyone, this could be your favorite novel of the month. It's a roller coaster of a ride, and you don't stop to ask questions, such as "how plausible is all of this?" You just ride and enjoy. Questions can be asked later, but once you have finished the ride, they don't seem so important..

Good opening for a series. The writing was very good, the mood and the characters were well written with backgrounds that made sense. That's what I like. No goofing around. Giving enough information and not Too Much Information. :) Good ending with an intriguing segue for the next in the series.

If you like authors such as Marc Cameron and Mark Greaney, then you should give this fast-paced, action-packed military thriller a try.
Author Betley has a great style of writing, balancing interesting characters with blazing action sequences.
Cannot wait for his next novel.

I enjoyed reading this on my kindle app although I must say at times I found it to be a bit corny and frequently redundant. Some scenes felt like replays of previous ones. I did like the pace of the book and it was easy to read and mostly entertaining.

I downloaded this book as part of Kindle Unlimited and I tried, I really tried, to read through it. Unfortunately, I only lasted the first few chapters. The writing is so cliched, the dialogues so stilted, the setup so derivative that I just couldn't stand wasting my time on this book anymore. Deleted it from my Kindle.

Enjoyed the read and storyline, it is truly worth the time to read. However, the audio narrator needs to improve. I enjoy the style and marathons of Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy and Ben Coes novels. It's hard to beat them and the method they change the characters with the different types of voices.

This story played out with plenty of tactical details and battle excitement giving the reader a sober picture of the cost of war. My own head will explode, however, if I have to read the cliche "to clear his head" one more time. Injury descriptions make this a tale recommended for strong stomachs.

Mr. Bentley did a fantastic job putting the reader in the middle of the action. As a Veteran, I felt myself back in the military. I was using weapons, planning strategy, and there in the middle of an unforseen climax. Always hoping for the best, but, expecting a setback. Good job.

I would like to recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a very interesting and exciting book where the action never stops. I am finding these books to be very difficult to put down. I will be looking forward to reading the next book from this author.

Fabulous story. Non stop suspense and adventure and fast action, with real and believable characters . Eye opening horrors of war, depressing ease of turning traitor, and brilliantly tough patriotic heroes. This was a really good book .