Rating: 
Summary: McNab creates a great new hero in this tense thriller
Review: Andy McNab's first thriller is a top-notch combination of violent action,
pulse-pounding excitement and edge of your seat suspense. In "Remote Control" McNab introduces a new hero, Nick Stone, who makes most
other famous fictional heroes look like prancing twits (can you say "Dirk Pitt"?) An
ex-SAS operator and current deniable ops specialist for Britain, Stone is something
of a cross between Hammett's Continental Op and Alistair MacLean's Phillip
Calvert: tough as jacketed hollow points, totally on-task, and cunning enough to
beat the bad guys at their own game. Nick Stone has more life in him (and more
blood and soul) than any action hero this side of Pendleton era Mack Bolan. The action in "Remote Control" never lets up for more than a few pages, and even
when Stone isn't facing guns and fists he's deep into the task at hand and planning
2 or 3 moves ahead so that the pace just keeps up and the tension builds.
Stone has to work against a plot without any help after he finds the family of a
friend murdered. On the run and out in the cold with his friend's seven year old
daughter in tow, Stone uses his training, intelligence and toughness to best
advantage. And just when he's past one challenge, an even greater one confronts
him. The story is told in first person and it really sounds like authentic dialogue.
This is like the golden age of Len Deighton's spy writing but with a tougher and
more realistic hero. Hard-boiled stuff! The great relationship between childless Stone and seven year old Kelly is a
wonderful thing in this book. I think I worried as much for him when he had to
finally tell Kelly her family was dead as when he was in any of the many deadly
encounters in the story. McNab obviously knows something about children and
Kelly's character is so real it makes the reader very frightened for her safety. The cover quote from author Stephen Coonts claims McNab is "the best suspense
thriller writer. . . since Alistair MacLean" and I can't argue with that. This book was
everything you'll want in a thriller. I can't wait to start the next one! This is a 5 star effort if ever there was one. Read it.
Rating: 
Summary: THE VISIT THAT WENT WRONG
Review: This exciting book about a man called Nick Stone. He is sent on a mission to follow two irish suspects. Everything was going swimmingly untill he went to his friends house... A great book with ups and downs a plenty. An exciting read with plenty of action yet not so much it ruins the book. A great book to read on journeys.
Rating:
Summary: The anti-Tom Clancy
Review: In a situation where Tom Clancy would waste five pages of techno-weenie jargon explaining exactly how a motion detector works, former SAS sergeant Andy McNab writes a few short sentences on how to beat one. McNab's main character, Nick Stone, describes himself as a 38 year old man with a lot on his mind and not much in it. Nothing ever goes quite as Nick plans and the results are thrilling, often quite funny and sometimes more than a little sad. If you are looking for a book to take along on a trip to read at the airport or on plane, this one would be tops. A fast read that makes killing time enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A little like Dick Marcinko
Review: I liked this book. Very similar to Richard Marcinko's Navy SEAL books. While Richard Marcinko goes into the technicals of warfare, Andy writes a story that is about human side of being SAS...and along the way we get to watch some good fight sequences. The story was good, and it didn't seem like Andy was trying to stuff it full of sensational violence or shoot outs. All round very interesting and entertaining. I look forward to reading some of Andy's other work. I was especially impressed with the orator/story teller (tape version.) He did a great job of putting all the voices together.
Rating:
Summary: Parental Guidance Recommended
Review: I read the abridged version of Remote Control and decided to read the unabridged version to see what I had missed. I discovered that I had missed nothing more than a large amount of swearing and plenty of graphic violence. I recommend this book to anyone, but would promote the abridged version as the better option, as the story is not adversely affected by the 'chopping' of several parts.
Rating:
Summary: Only McNab can walk the walk
Review: Plenty of action/thriller writers can talk the talk, but only Andy McNab can walk the walk. That's why the Colombian drug cartels and the Provisional IRA still have contracts out on him. McNab doesn't have to imagine how these things work - he KNOWS, and he tells his tales in the sure knowledge that his plots and descriptions carry the authenticity that other writers lack. Remote Control follows agent Nick Stone through a storming story of IRA duplicity, murder and drug dealing. Curiously, at the time that I write this review, terrorist funding is hitting the world headlines following the despicable atrocities at the WTC and Pentagon. Andy McNab (with no foreknowledge of these events) points out that many citizens of USA have been funding the IRA for years. It's strangely ironic to be reminded of that now that USA needs the support of the rest of the democratic world. I guess one man's terrorist is another man's hero (?) I notice that other reviewers point to a seeming weakness in the story regarding Nick Stone's relationship with seven year old Kelly, whom he has saved from his parents' murderers. I think that this awkwardness between the two characters is quite intentional, highlighting the emotional difficulties of any special agent who is trained to kill without sentiment. Remote Control is a real page-turner of a book, delivering action that is just this side of out-of-control, and a plot that oozes authenticity. There's no doubt, almost from the outset, who the real villains are, but that doesn't lessen the suspense. How will Nick Stone get himself out of the mess and how will he save the little girl? Particularly since he's on a deniable mission and his British spymasters have disowned him. If you want to read a thriller that tells is as it really is, Remote Control is the book for you.... Five well-earned stars.
Rating:
Summary: On Action Fantastic - On Human Relationships -not so good...
Review: Superb beginning - one of the few books I couldn't put down . Extremely realistic and exciting. However during the second part of the book I was put off by the heroes relationship with the little girl. I didn't find this convincing at all and so gave up interest having to skip the bonding nonsense. Stick to the action Andy, this is your strength and few can do it better - you know it makes sense!
Rating:
Summary: Grasping The Book With White Knuckles
Review: Remote Control is an unbelievably exciting story about ex-SAS agent Nick Stone. While in D.C. on what is typically described as spy work, he discovers the vicious murder of an old friend and his family. He grabs seven-year-old Kelly, the only survivor of the massacre, and finds himself being pursued by his friend's killer(s). Now tangled in the "world of IRA deals, drug cartels, and messy TransAtlantic politics," Nick doesn't know where to turn or who to trust. The best part of McNab's novel, however, is the characters. They are so real that they easily drag you into the story. I found myself gripping the book so tightly whenever they were in immediate danger, that my knuckles were bright white... have fun trying not to fall in love with Nick and Kelly!
Rating:
Summary: An in depth, in-your-face epic!
Review: This book makes you feel that you are living Nick and Kelly's adventure. Andy holds no punchs and tells it as it is. Anyone who has read any of his books will enjoy this classic spy thriller!
Rating:
Summary: A Thriller For The 21st Century
Review: There are a few books that are so suspenseful and action-packed I have been unable to put them down. Remote Control is one of them. Ex-SAS 'K' Nick Stone is assigned to follow a group of Provisional IRA members on their way to Washington. His mission is cut short, but before leaving, he decides to visit a friend's family. At this point, McNab plunges the reader into a rollercoaster ride of emotions as Stone finds the family savagely murdered. From there on, the action does not stop - Stone finds himself and 7-year-old Kelly, the family's only survivor, pursued by mysterious forces intent on capturing them both. An array of supporting characters add to the drama - 'Slack' Pat the ex-SAS drug addict, Al De Niro the ex-mobster, Euan the best friend, and more. Stone himself is a brilliant creation, a hero with a sizeable share of ruthlessness - you can't help but wonder how much of McNab is in Stone. Remote Control creates a world which is brutal, thrilling and shockingly realistic - quite simply one of the best books you'll find.
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