The Mercenary Option

Rating:
Summary: A terrific summer read.
Review: Couch has written a terrific summer read, whether you are by the pool, on the beach or in an airplane headed for vacation---this is a great first book in what promises to be a series. Couch writes with authority having been a Navy SEAL and one who stays in touch with both his old team contacts, as well as the current crop of spec ops warriors. In the Mercenary Option, he out-Clancys Clancy--this is a tight, fast paced book full of believeable action and details. We could only hope such an option exists when it comes to dealing with our current crop of enemies. I recommend this book as well as Couch's non-fiction books to those who want to understand the special operations team mindset, methods and commitment.

Rating:
Summary: Couch Potato
Review: I bought the book based on reading Mr.Couch's previous works. But this was a bit overly contrived. And to be an "Action-thriller", shouldn't the emphasis be on action, not political drudgery. And "dropping the hammer" on a Glock?!, or placing one on safe?, I suppose minor technical details. An entertaining read for a cold winter night, but not up to Mr.Couch's standards.

Rating:
Summary: not impressed
Review: I bought the book based on reading Mr.Couch's previous works. But this was a bit overly contrived. And to be an "Action-thriller", shouldn't the emphasis be on action, not political drudgery. And "dropping the hammer" on a Glock?!, or placing one on safe?, I suppose minor technical details. An entertaining read for a cold winter night, but not up to Mr.Couch's standards.

Rating:
Summary: not impressed
Review: I read his other books, SEAL Team One, Silent Descent and Pressure Point and this one just doesn't cut it - I couldn't finish reading it because as another reviewer wrote, there just wasn't much action. Lots of buildup but it just didn't carry it for me. If I didn't know it was written by a former SEAL and CIA guy I wouldn't of thought it believeable, ie, that the US govt would secretly enlist a Ross Perot type to take out some terrorists using Ghurkas.

I can say that if you want a good read from Dick Couch, then a must have is The Warrior Elite, about SEAL training. I give that one 6 out of 5 stars!

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I've been a fan of Dick Couch's other books, but this one is lacking in a couple of areas. First, the book takes a long time to get untracked with a lot of time spent "getting the team together". Perhaps because this is the first book of a series this is extended, but 2/3 of the book passes before any action occurs and in a military thriller I expect to get involved in the mission a lot sooner. Hopefully this will be rectified in future installments. Secondly, the basic premise of a benign, privately funded, mercenary force that is essentially contracted by the American government is a little far-fetched, especially if not believably laid out. The mission in the book could have easily been handled by existing special forces and a strong case really wasn't concocted for the need for a mercenary force.

Still, the action is handled well and the characters, if somewhat standard issue, are believable. It was a nice touch having Gurkhas be the fighters for the merc force, a little different spin than usual.

Here's hoping that future installments are more effectively executed.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I've been a fan of Dick Couch's other books, but this one is lacking in a couple of areas. First, the book takes a long time to get untracked with a lot of time spent "getting the team together". Perhaps because this is the first book of a series this is extended, but 2/3 of the book passes before any action occurs and in a military thriller I expect to get involved in the mission a lot sooner. Hopefully this will be rectified in future installments. Secondly, the basic premise of a benign, privately funded, mercenary force that is essentially contracted by the American government is a little far-fetched, especially if not believably laid out. The mission in the book could have easily been handled by existing special forces and a strong case really wasn't concocted for the need for a mercenary force.

Still, the action is handled well and the characters, if somewhat standard issue, are believable. It was a nice touch having Gurkhas be the fighters for the merc force, a little different spin than usual.

Here's hoping that future installments are more effectively executed.

Rating:
Summary: Well written and enjoyable!
Review: I?ve been a fan of Dick Couch since the beginning. His books are well written, with interesting concepts that are accurate portrayals of what it?s really like when Special Warfare Warriors are provoked. The Mercenary Option is another excellent example, adapted to current events.

Readers looking for an engaging tale of conquering terrorism, the way it should be done, will enjoy this book. And, they will appreciate the authenticity with it has been written. Dick Couch is one of the few who writes from his experiences in similar situations... and does so in a credible and enjoyable manner.


Rating:
Summary: A winner from Couch!
Review: The one thing we know about the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the other countries in the region is how much we DON'T know. One of the most fascinating things that we don't know is the extent to which private armies, private militias, private security firms are acting both for and against our interests. In THE MERCENARY OPTION, Dick Couch has shown just how far this may be going. His background--both as a Navy SEAL and a CIA operator--makes him eminently qualified to slip us the story behind the headlines. And, the action here--with its sly buildup to a bangup finish--is superb. This is a thinking man's thriller and should be considered a great leap forward from his earlier novels SEAL TEAM ONE, PRESSURE POINT, RISING WIND and SILENT DESCENT. Plus, as the author of WARRIOR ELITE and FINISHING SCHOOL, the two definitive books about Navy SEAL training, the reader can look at this as a short course in unconventional warfare tactics and strategies. A great book.