Book 7, Predator One: A Joe Ledger Novel

Another great Joe Ledger read by Maberry. Spoiler alert for those who don't want to know whats in the book.

This one starts with Captain Joe Ledger, Top, Bunny and Sam who are Echo squad for DMS, on a raid. This raid is illegal as hell as its happening on a rocky island off the coast of Chile.

The raid is a success. Well kind of. The man they were looking for is there but he's dead. Again.

As they pull the body out a drone appears. It sends pictures out to all social networks. This is something that will come back to haunt DMS, the POTUS and his administation in a big way.

Pharos is an MD. He's currently caring for a wreck of a man who was pulled from the Hudson River.

The man has no legs, one arm and on eye that he can barely see from. He was burned over much of his body. The fact that he's even alive is a miracle. He's also got cancer and isn't expected to live for much longer. He's also a man who will be dead. Again.

Pharos is caring for him in hopes that he can get the account numbers the man has. Those accounts are worth billions. Those billions is what Pharos cares about not the man. In fact Pharos actually hates the man and will not lose one iota of sleep when's finally dead. Again.

Pharon has sent his "daughter" Boy and a pair of gay killers out to do the wrecks bidding. That bidding includes murder and kidnapping. Its all in an attempt to make the world burn.

So begins another damned fine read.

This one has Joe, Bunny, Top, Ghost, Pharos, Toys, Junie, Circe, Church, Bug, Aunt Sally, Boy, the POTUS, drones, IA's, the 7 Kings, the Kingsman, a computer expert named Davidavitch, kidnapping, murder, explosions, a major league baseball opening day, drones, death, destruction, a dog named Banshee, Violin, Lillith, Father Nicodemus, plans, agendas, attacks throughout the country and Joe Ledger, his team and the DMS saving the day one more time.

Five Stars and then some.

So, so disappointed. I have loved this series, minus Dr. Sanchez. I thought Maberry had left behind the archaic BS of religion considering everything this group and the Imura group(different set of stories) have been through. The science (even as far fetched as it was) is what kept me coming back to Echo team and the DMS. Leave the supernatural in one of your other series. I wanted to finish this book, really did, but can't forgive Maberry for going back to the sodding stupidity of devils. Will never read Maberry again.

So, so disappointed. I have loved this series, minus Dr. Sanchez. I thought Maberry had left behind the archaic BS of religion considering everything this group and the Imura group(different set of stories) have been through. The science (even as far fetched as it was) is what kept me coming back to Echo team and the DMS. Leave the supernatural in one of your other series. I wanted to finish this book, really did, but can't forgive Maberry for going back to the sodding stupidity of devils. Will never read Maberry again.

Was the biggest Mayberry/Ledger fan, but after this book i think i'm over it. Mayberry seems to be suffering some kind of testosterone deficiency and it's bleeding over into his male charactors. In this book Ledger cries more than a 12 yr old girl at a One Direction concert and suffers more concussions than Wes Welker (seemingly every chaptor). It's like, how to end this chaptor? Hmm...how about Ledger gets another concussion? Yay! CTE be damned! The unbelivable omnipotent super-villian (stolen from Lustbader no doubt) is getting old too. They have every advantage, but one little loose end leads to their demise...yawn...wonder whats on TV. In the next book he should just kill Ledger off in some fantastic explosion at the local animal shelter while Ledger is openly weeping over some stray dog with mange and spin-off a new series with Top and Bunny. At least they have survived this series with their skill and manhood intact.

Maberry has delivered a cross between a comic book and marathon for the mind. His plots are what you would expect in a comic book, and the need to remember all of the past villains require you to carry your notes from his previous books. Why do authors today, who write sequels, require the reader to remember the dull past? I am tiring of reading fourth, fifth and sixth sequential novels by authors who take up the first quarter of the book, retelling what happened in past novels.

Why can't authors just write clever plots, as they did in their first books, instead of coasting along in overdrive, boring their readers, with their later novels. If anything, kill off the main character, and give us a new one to read about it. What a novel idea.

Maberry's seventh in the series has Joe Ledger still battling the world's most dangerous villains. Ledger, a former Army Ranger and Baltimore Detective is part of a clandestine agency known as the Department of Military Sciences (DMS). The DMS pursues technologically advanced threats to the US and the world. These have ranged from creatively scary pathogens to transgenics for ethnic cleansing. The books are a cross between Matthew Reilly's wild thrillers and Nelson DeMille's John Corey procedurals.

In fact, Ledger is becoming as much a wisecracker as the Corey character which to me is grating. Like so many of these action characters, they become superhuman and too cool. Still, Maberry has me as a fan because his stories move with speed and are completely bubble gum entertainment. Careful though, this brand of bubble gum entertainment is violent and some plots and scenes off-putting.

Predator One does not offer as much mystery as other entries. That is because the villains are retreads from earlier efforts. This is a "bridge" novel that is tying up previous looses ends (and characters) while clearing the runway for new ground. ***Spoiler Alert***. I did enjoy the threat and the execution of this threat to the world. I share Maberry's obvious concern over the proliferation of drones both commercial and personal. These are great delivery mechanisms for bad stuff. I look forward to number eight but would like it to be about 25% more subtle and build suspense.

Originally posted to nathantullis.wordpress.com

Predator One
What a book! I always wait with anticipation for the next Jonathan Maberry novel. Always. This time was no exception. I have re-listened to every Ledger book over the last few months in preparation. Timing it just right, I finished Code Zero Monday on my way home from work. Tuesday morning I set in for an adventure. I was not disappointed.

It was going to be a good day. Joe and Rudy were at opening day in Baltimore. They were going to watch a true American Hero throw out the first pitch and shake hands with Joe's all time hero, his father. Junie, Circe, and Lydia were in San Francisco house hunting. Then, out of nowhere, Circe faints. Meanwhile in Baltimore, a small remote airplane flies over the field, doing tricks and dives. The crowd was loving it! In the blink of an eye. BOOM! A good day went very, very bad. A quick series of events involving timers, guns, and...pigeons? WTF?...sends Church and the entirety of the D.M.S. into a battle they are ill prepared for, and a name they thought they'd never hear again. This time though, it's all personal. A computer program developed by a man who puts even the D.M.S.'s top expert, Bug, to shame, can take control of virtually any military equipment with a CPU. It wreaks chaos, sending Captain Ledger and the rest of the Echo team on a mission they thought was completed years ago. While Echo team tries to find the bastard behind this, unknown to them as The Gentleman; Church is stranded on Air Force One, a plane no longer under their control, and Rudy Sanchez is battling his own demons. Oh yeah, and a nice little glimpse of where Joe Ledger gets his tenacity.

I devoured this audiobook in 2 days. Ray Porter delivered an absolutely incredible performance. I've listened to a lot of audiobooks narrated by Mr. Porter and he is easily my favorite narrator, so I will obviously show no bias. He is Joe Ledger. I'm sure you've seen that before, so have I. It's just fact. The man adds so much to this story with his intensity. Every character has his or her own voice and they all get their own special touch of character from Ray Porter. You can hear the passion he has for these characters in every word.

This is a must read and a must listen. It's one of the best Ledger books yet. It adds depth to a lot of characters and is packed with adrenaline.

Predator One is the continuing story of the Department of Military Science (DMS), the fight for the American way of life, and the exploits of Joe Ledger. Jonathan Maberry writes the Joe Ledger adventure series.

The Joe Ledger stories are always high-octane action. This latest edition is no different. The story starts with a series of graphically violent acts and continues with hardly time for a breath until the very end. Our favorite and well-known DMS characters are present, as well as an old nemesis everyone thought was dead. That scary Nicodemus is also roaming around.

A new autonomous system installed across the military, and a modified version installed in our vehicles, is running amok. Drones are being controlled by an enemy and attacking the populous. DMS families are targeted and Air Force One is hijacked. There is a lot going on by an unseen enemy trying to destroy the United States, and the world. DMS forces are stretched thin.

Jonathan Maberry has kept his characters consistent throughout this series. His stories are intricate and interesting. If you like action, good versus evil stories, this is a great one. If you haven’t read the rest of the series, you should. Each book builds upon the previous stories. They can be read out of order. I have missed the two just before Predator One. There were a few things I was behind on but for the most part I was able to fully understand and enjoy the story.

Predator One is the latest novel in the Joe Ledger Series by Jonathan Maberry. I have read nearly every book by Mr. Maberry and the Joe Ledger Series is one of my favorite overall series by any author. Maberry created an amazing character with Joe Ledger. Every adventure he is sent on in these novels is thrilling and unique.
Predator One had to be one of the most intense stories from this particular series. You truly see the nature of each character and the hardships they are forced to face and the seemingly unstoppable evil that continues to pop up like the heads of a hydra. Every time Joe and his team knocks off one head, two more take its place and appear to be even more horrible than the last.
Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times Best Selling Author and it is quite obvious how he managed that feat. His writing style is detailed, but not overwhelming and his characters are all lovable heroes or truly monstrous villains, who you hope pay the ultimate price!
I would not only recommend Predator One, but every book in Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger dossier.
I can not wait to continue the adventures of Captain Ledger and Echo Team! A series for readers seeking a truly amazing adventure series!

http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/2015/10/predator-one-joe-ledger-series-7-by.html

Evil comes in the forms of drones in the fantastic new addition to Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series. Joe and his team are fresh off an ops run that went bad when Joe and Rudy decide a game of baseball (Phillies vs Orioles) would be just the ticket to relaxation. If you’ve followed this series, you know that poor Joe rarely gets any downtime, and this baseball game is no exception. Joe’s father is also present in addition to decorated war hero Colonel Roger Douglas. What looks like a remote controlled toy airplane buzzes the crowd and it’s at first thought to be a nod to Colonel Douglas. Joe has a really bad feeling about it, and it’s indeed bad. The airplane is a drone carrying bombs, and it’s dropping them on a stadium full of people. Joe and Ghost desperately try to make it through the stampede in order to find help, or find the bad guys, but they’re both nearly trampled to death just fighting through the terrified mob. It’s a harrowing, devastating scene, and it only kicks off the first of many of such scenes during this book.

We’re used to our hero getting battered and bruised, and if you read the series you know how much Joe struggles with the side of him that enjoys killing the bad guys. However, for a while now, Joe has other things to fight for, like Junie, and Ghost, and the friends and comrades that he holds dear. Let’s put it this way, he doesn’t really worry about that side of himself in this book at all. He’s going to bring the bad guys (and girls) down, and hesitation isn’t in the cards. Nor is mercy. In this series, Maberry has a history of upping the stakes in every book with his baddies. They’re always complicated and always inventive. There’s a female villain in here that is a disgusting human being ,yet still, when she asks her boss if she can come home if she completes this mission successfully, you can see the little girl inside that was never taught to be anything but a killer. Don’t get me wrong, she needs to be brought down, but there is still a tiny glimmer of humanity in there, even if it’s not enough to ever redeem her.

On the other hand, in Toys, we have character that’s desperately seeking redemption after his actions with the Seven Kings. Junie has taken him under her wing, and he still struggles constantly with the horrible things he’s done, and doesn’t feel he’s deserving of acceptance, or a second chance. Near the end of the book, though, Toys does something that shows him for the hero that he’s able to be, and it’s heartwrenching.

Yes, this is a Joe Ledger book, which has always meant fast –paced, with short chapters that jump from Joe’s POV to the bad guys, and between the present and the past, at breakneck speed. If it’s action you want, you’ll get plenty, as well as always fantastic fight scenes. But, at its core, it’s a character driven thriller, and that’s what I love most about these books. It’s one of the few series where the characters feel like real people to me, and I’m likely to cry at least once per book. This is also a very timely book, since the main weapon that the bad guys have at their disposal is drones, as well as the ability to hack into a specific type of software that’s used to automate cars, submarines, and even planes. There’s a reason that this book is called Predator One. It’s a play on Air Force One, so yes, the president is one pain in the rear that Church must deal with in addition to all of the horror that’s already going on. There’s really not much more terrifying then an individual or group of evil people with deep pockets that decide that they’re going to cause chaos and death on a mass scale. Like I said, Jonathan Maberry ups the ante for Joe and his crew every single time, and in this one, the evil hits very, very close to home for the DMS. It was also nice to see the usually Zen and calm Rudy kick some significant ass this time around.

If you haven’t discovered this consistently fantastic series, now is the time. I honestly don’t see why you couldn’t jump in at this point, but you’d miss so much awesome by not starting at the beginning, with Patient Zero.

Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Another one out of the park (couldn't resist), Predator One by Jonathan Maberry had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Overall Thoughts: I feel like the Joe Ledger series would make the perfect Netflix series. It has action, thrills, fringe science, and great escapability. This one had drones (scared the ever-loving heck out of me), baseball, and brought us more evil than in previous books. It ratchets up each book bringing us closer to (read Benny Imura or Dead of Night if you want to know where we are going). Honestly, I am just now counting down to the next one. I want it NOW!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Ray Porter / Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins

Ray Porter is perfect for this series. I can't believe that book 1 I was like "meh" with his narration. Now I can't imagine anyone else as Joe Ledger!

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, Done! Reviews

REVIEW SUMMARY: Seven books in and Maberry's Joe Ledger series is still going strong.

MY RATING: 4.5 stars

MY REVIEW

PROS: The most realistic and terrifying threat the Department of Military Sciences has faced; none of the characters feel safe; fast paced and gripping.

CONS: The protagonists are inactive for much of the novel; not enough Ledger time; if the villain reveal at the end is supposed to be a surprise it isn't.

BOTTOM LINE: Maberry continues to raise the stakes, pushing Ledger and the DMS to the breaking point.

Nothing in life is certain except death, taxes, and the next Joe Ledger Novel. Maberry's series of techno thrillers has remained a constant comfort in my life since Patient Zero released way back in 2009. Through dedication Maberry has produced a new Joe Ledger Novel annually and despite this intense schedule the series has only continued to grow stronger. Over the years Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences have battled zombies, super soldiers, chimeras, biblical plagues, vampires, zombies again, and now Skynet! Predator One sees the team facing off against drone terrorism.

Drone warfare has made plenty of headlines over the past couple of years. The commercialization of drones seemed to be one of the bigger stories of 2014. Maberry takes all of this and creates a frighteningly plausible terror scenario. The Seven Kings are back -- or at least one of them is anyway. The Gentleman, lone survivor of the secret group, is on his death bed but before he passes from this world he wishes to exact revenge on the agency that has continually foiled his plans. Now I'm not 100% positive whether or not the Gentleman's identity is supposed to be a secret. His real name isn't revealed until the end but there are enough blatant "clues" that I started to suspect it all might be a red herring (it's not). I'll admit that I was happy to see the character reappear.

The Seven Kings felt a little cartoony to me when they first entered the picture way back in book three, The King of Plagues, but that is no longer the case with Predator One. There may only be one "King" left but the threat he poses to the world is far greater than anything we've yet experienced in a Maberry novel. As Alfred says in The Dark Knight, "Some men just want to watch the world burn" and the Gentleman certainly falls under this category. Predator One is, without exaggeration, the most brutal Joe Ledger Novel to date.

Readers of this series have likely grown comfortable. Not since book two, The Dragon Factory, has one of the primary good guys died. There's been a high degree of civilian casualties (especially in the last book, Code Zero) and the DMS redshirts that get stuck on Ledger's team have a high mortality rate but no matter how dastardly the villains, no matter how terrible the evil scheme, Joe Ledger always saves the day. Predator One goes a long way toward rebuilding the diminished horror aspect of the series. I felt as though the characters were in actual danger. The terror attack at the baseball game is harrowing and heart wrenching -- it's the sort of iconic attack that would leave America reeling for years to come. Every component of the the Gentleman's plan raises the stakes and the death toll. Predator One does for commercial drones what Jaws did for sharks. Terrorism is all about fear and Maberry does not hesitate to embrace that in his writing. I hope that Maberry shows the fallout of Predator One in the next book because after all that transpired America should never be the same.

Likewise I don't suspect the characters will ever be the same after the events of Predator One. Except for Ledger. Joe Ledger never really changes, and honestly who would want him to? The Gentleman goes for the DMS's throat, targeting not just the agents but their families as well. Somehow Maberry even manages to accomplish the impossible -- he made me care about Rudy Sanchez. That's the nature of Predator One, it cuts so deep that I was able to set aside my loathing of Ledger's best friend. I've even come around to liking former baddie Alexander "Toys" Chismer, despite myself. All the other favorites are present and accounted for from Top and Bunny to Bug and Church (seriously, when the hell is he going to get his own damn spinoff/prequel novel) and Junie Flynn, who I have come to adore. Even Violin (I'd also settle for a Violin spinoff novel) makes an all too brief appearance.

My biggest complaint about Predator One is that the good guys seem to remain static for the majority of the novel, acted upon by the Gentleman rather than acting of their own volition. Ledger spends a lot of time at a hospital recovering from the baseball game attack. Junie, Toys, and Rudy spend a good deal of time at another hospital with the comatose Circe O'Tree. And then Ledger and Rudy head to a third hospital to investigate a peculiar drone attack. A lot is happening but our protagonists feel slightly impotent in the midst of it all. And perhaps, to give Maberry credit, that's where the heavier degree of tension and horror comes from.

The book moves at a blistering pace and Maberry's short chapters will keep you turning the pages well after you resolved to put the book down. The perspective jumps around from Ledger's first person narrative to the third person perspective of his allies, the villains, and some of the victims of the attacks. This gives readers both a personal and a broader view of events as they happen. Because of the scale of the Gentleman's plan I was expecting/hoping that the plot of Predator One might carry into the next book, Kill Switch. Relatively late into the book the Department of Military Sciences is still in the dark as to the nature of the threat and I was unsure Maberry could wrap it up in a hundred pages or so . Thus far each book has been "standalone" to a degree but I was salivating at the idea of a larger arc. Unfortunately that turned out not to be the case but the finale is still fulfilling and felt far from rushed.

As far as I am aware all of the Joe Ledger Novels are upwards of 400 pages and yet I've still managed to breeze through each in a weekend or so. Assassin's Code remains my favorite of the series (it'll be difficult to top) but Predator One displays a continued improvement while providing fans with everything they love so much about Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences.

Nick Sharps
SF Signal

I liked it. Its Maberry. Its Joe Ledger. but.....Sadly..its predictable. Out of all the Ledger books, this one finishes last. No new ground. The premise is thin. No OS can get around the limitations of hardware. Every 3 years Apple updates its products so you have to buy a new one. The new robust OS doesn't operate with the 3 year old hardware. In this novel we are supposed to believe that a new OS works with everything...no probs. My office can't keep 12 networked printers going for two weeks. In this book? sigh. Anywho...the book clips along at a great pace. Its exciting. Page turning fun. Its just isn't as SMART as the other books were. Thats why I took a star away. Beware..some serious rapey scenes in this one. Be forewarned if that isn't your thing.

3.5 stars

I have to say unlike most other Jonathan Maberry books this one took me awhile to get into. The beginning is very disturbing and has some unnerving torture scenes. I think what bothered me about this one was it was a crazy zombie gore or vampire gore but just pure crazy people torturing other people and enjoying it. Once I got past that it was what you would expect from a Joe Ledger book. Suspend all sense of reality and enjoy the thrilling roller coaster ride of a story. I wish we had seen more of Violin but she only makes one brief appearance. Still an exciting book but I could have done with less of the torture scenes.

With Predator One Joe Ledger is back in the driver's seat. I recommend reading all the previous books both for enjoyment and because it will give this book a context, especially the King of Plagues. What if despite the ending of the King of Plagues (trying to be vague to protect those that have not read), the 7 Kings organization is still going strong? Like a well oiled machine strong. Like a machine controlled by the most powerful AI the world had ever known strong. The 7 Kings may not be the same, but that doesn't mean they can't reach beyond the grave, or is someone we know from a previous book still alive? Plans put into motion by the 7 Kings many years ago will see fruition in this book, unless Mr. Church, Joe and the rest of DMS can stop them. I don't like to go into too much detail about a book in case it ruins another reader's anticipation and enjoyment of the book as the plot unfolds with twists and turns. Rest assured Predator One has the same action and drama you expect from a Joe Ledger novel, and yet it never gets old. Both characters from previous books of course Joe, Rudy, Mr. Church, Bug, Top and Bunny and new villainous characters like Mr. Pharos and Boy populate the book quite well with acts of heroism and villainy. Jonathan Maberry always does a good job explaining the science and politics behind his novels, and yet it doesn't drag down the story. He also writes great action scenes to enrich the plot. If you've read the previous books, you will definitely enjoy Predator One, and I encourage anyone new to the series to read it.

Another fun Joe Ledger novel. “Predator One” was had non-stop action from start to finish, evil geniuses and a bit of humor mixed in. If you’ve read others books in the series before you’ll probably know the pattern this follows but I still felt it was fun. Always well written and thought out, so if you’re looking for shoot ‘em up thrill ride with a bad ass man at the controls look no further!

Tons of action and big time destruction. Jonathan really ramped up the action level for this one. I just read Code Zero about a month ago so I am caught up with Joe Ledger for now. If you are a Joe Ledger fan, you will love it and if you are not (crazy isn't it) then this will make you one.

Without a doubt these is one of my FAVORITE series. Looking forward to more.

A scary scenario, and Ledger is even more ruthless is that is possible. I'm enjoying these books more than Tom Clancy's novels. I really like how we see Ledger's flaws and weaknesses although I love seeing him when he decides to let his dark side out.

Jonathan Maberry takes us on a thrilling and all too possible ride! I'll never look at a drone without feeling a thread of apprehension and saying a silent prayer that, somewhere, Joe Ledger and the Echo Team is locked and loaded and ready to save the world.

Sorry, Captain! Until Church, or whoever is behind pricing takes of your heroic deeds, drops this book to $5.99 tops, I'm out of the game! Dull giving you three stars because you're so freaking awesome, man!