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Preview
  • Total Blackout

  • A Jack Tate SAS Thriller, Book 1
  • By: Alex Shaw
  • Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
  • Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (173 ratings)

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Total Blackout

By: Alex Shaw
Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
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Summary

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE

The start of a gripping new crime thriller series introducing ex-SAS trooper Jack Tate!

Don’t miss the explosive start to the Jack Tate series.

When the lights go out…
British MI6 agent, and former SAS trooper, Jack Tate is trying to escape his past when he witnesses a terrorist attack of unthinkable scale. An electro-magnetic pulse knocks out the US power grid, killing anything with a computer processor, throwing the whole country into darkness.

You have to escape the past.
Under the cover of the blackout, a clandestine operation aims to assassinate prominent public figures on US soil. Looting and violence spreads across the country. And Jack Tate’s past comes back to haunt him. As the only intelligence operative on the ground, he is hurled into a mission that will put him – and the people he loves – in immediate danger.

You have to defeat the enemy.
With the fate of the United States on the line, only he can prevent the horror of a new world war.

Perfect for fans of James Deegan, Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney, this is an explosive action thriller you won’t be able to put down.

‘Compelling and authentic. An explosive new series with an uncompromising hero’ Tom Wood

‘Jack Tate is a powerful character, a true Brit hero. A cracking start to a new series!’ Alan McDermott

‘Alex Shaw is a master of the action thriller. Grabbed me from the first page and never let go’ Michael Ridpath

‘Riveting thriller with an original plot and surprising twists. Tate is totally convincing as a classic Brit operative. Great drama and characterisation’ Duncan Falconer

©2020 Alex Shaw (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
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Critic reviews

"Looking for breakneck pace and a relentless hero? Alex Shaw has you covered." (James Swallow)

"Alex Shaw is one of the best thriller writers around! Fast paced, Total Blackout gripped from page one and didn’t let go...as fast as a Hollywood movie." (Stephen Leather)

What listeners say about Total Blackout

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well read

a good story well read. easy listening and interesting plot. a new hero emerges. Jack is not as complex as other heroes but has a down to earth believable character. very enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

First book by this author throughly enjoyed.

First book by this author throughly enjoyed. Good story line could possible happen, well performed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great new thriller novelist to join the ranks.

A new novelists for a fiftieth STORY FITHTHor democracy LEADS THE CHARCE ON ANTI COMMUNISM.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An OK Listen

A bit ‘clunky’ in places and a tad over long but OK to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping listen from start to finish!!

The book gripped from start to finish making you ignore the pause button and the only disappointment is that you are left wanting the next book!!
Great performance by Leighton Pugh too an important part of any book.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Started good ran out of energy author had an EMP

Started good and got my interest then started to jump about form one location and people became a jungle of who was who etc became a bore with a rather stupid story line

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Very good story great plot I liked how exciting it was and the story really hooked me to listen to more by this author.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping

A great book from start to finish, plenty to twist and turns. Kept you gripped till the end.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining read - recommended

I was captivated by the story and I think I will enjoy this series of books. I really like the characters and it is well narrated with no ridiculous sounding accents. I think the author took a few shortcuts to make the story work though which just made it a bit far fetched but I liked it nonetheless. If you like Jack Reacher, the Gray Man, John Milton and characters and stories of that ilk, I am sure you will like this Jack Tate novel.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Painful narrator

I’m only on chapter 4 but I’m seriously struggling with this narrator - he reads like it’s a parody. Males all sound like Donald trump and women sound like Marge Simpson or whiny 6 year olds.

The book is probably quite intelligently written but it certainly hasn’t been read intelligently at all. I hate the children’s story reading style.

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2 people found this helpful