Underdogs by Stephen Leather

🔥🔥🔥 Out on 12 February 2026 🔥🔥🔥

Description from Goodreads:

"Once a fearless SAS hero, Andy 'Deadman' Bird now battles the harsh streets of London after a catastrophic mission stripped him of his hearing, career, home and marriage. His only solace is Tyson, his fiercely loyal and battle-tested dog.

When fate thrusts them into the path of a chilling alleyway murder, Andy and Tyson become the next targets. Who are these relentless hunters, and what dangerous secrets are they willing to kill for?

Desperate and cornered, Andy reaches out to his former brothers–in–arms – a team who owe him their very lives. But as they unravel a sinister web of organised crime and deadly political plots, who will be saving who this time?"

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I have been a fan of Stephen Leather's work for a long time now and he never disappoints. This latest book is certainly no exception - it's an absolute peach of a story. If you're looking for something full of action, violence, suspense and intrigue, then this is definitely the one for you.

The story follows Andy "Deadman" Bird, a former SAS hero who has had a really tough time of it after a mission went wrong. He's lost his hearing, his career and his marriage, and he's living on the streets of London. I absolutely loved Bird as a main character, but I have to say that Tyson the dog completely stole the show for me. Tyson is Bird's fiercely loyal companion and seeing the relationship between the two of them was just wonderful.

One thing that really got to me was how they are both experiencing PTSD after that failed mission. It was so interesting to see that this isn't something that just affects humans - I didn't really know anything about dogs being affected in that way, so it was new to me although not a complete surprise. It made their bond feel even deeper because they're both struggling with the same demons.

When they witness a murder in an alleyway, they both end up as targets. It was great to see Bird reach out to his old SAS brothers-in-arms for help. The camaraderie between the characters felt so natural and authentic, and it really added to the grit of the story as they got tangled up in a mess of organised crime and political plots.

It's a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled ride that kept me hooked from start to finish. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a proper, hard-hitting thriller. 🐾

Huge thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, yet another cracker from Mr Leather.

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Still Standing (Matt Standing #3) by Stephen Leather

💥💥💥 Due to be published 05-Jan-2023 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"The SAS are used to deaths during combat - it goes with the turf.

But when one of their own is said to have committed suicide in Thailand, red flags are raised.

Pete Green wasn't the sort of soldier who would ever take his own life - and no one is more sure of that than his twin brother, Davie.

Davie is determined to fly to the Land Of Smiles to find out what really happened to his twin brother. But if he is going to find out the truth he'll need help - the sort of help only SAS Sergeant Matt Standing can provide.

But soon after they arrive they come under attack, leaving Standing to investigate on his own. There are clearly people who want to shut down all enquiries and Standing knows he will have to use all his SAS jungle skills to survive. This will be the toughest of assignments but nothing will come between him and the truth ..."

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Once again, Mr Leather treats us to a story full of action and intrigue from the start.  This might be the third in the Matt Standing series but can easily be read as a standalone so don't worry.

When Pete Green apparently commits suicide whilst taking a break in Thailand, his twin brother smells a rat; Matt agrees to accompany him to find out how Pete died and repatriate his body back to the UK.  On arrival, it quickly becomes apparent that things are definitely not what they seem and things quickly go downhill and it's going to take all Matt's SAS training and guile, as well as a little intel from a certain "Spider" back in the UK, to get out of the trouble he finds himself in.

Well written, fast paced with great characters and an excellent story, this is a great read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others and my thanks go to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Still Standing.

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Other books by Stephen Leather I have read and reviewed:

Standing Alone (Matt Standing #2)

Slow Burn (Dan Shepherd #17)

Short Range (Dan Shepherd #16)

Penalties

Spider Shepherd: SAS The Sandpit

Natural Selection (A Spider Shepherd Short Story)

Standing Alone (Matt Standing #2) by Stephen Leather

 

💥💥💥 published 06-January-2022 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"How can you follow orders if those orders are to kill a friend?

A Navy SEAL has gone rogue, selling his skills to the highest bidder as a professional assassin.

Ryan French no longer cares who he kills so long as the price is right.

His former bosses want him taken down, but they're not prepared to get their hands dirty so they need a Brit to do the job.

SAS trooper Matt "Lastman" Standing is a lethal killing machine with experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Plus he's worked with French in the past. It's not a mission he wants, but Standing made a bad choice in his past and it has come back to haunt him.

Now he's hunting French in the lawless Wild West forests of Humboldt County, where the US produces most of its legal - and illegal - cannabis.

But French isn't the only predator in the wilderness - there are Mexican cartels, Russian Mafia and Hungarian gangsters - and Standing has to overcome them all to get to his target."

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I am a huge fan of Mr Leather's Dan "Spider" Shepherd series and although I haven't read the first in this series (how the heck did I miss that!!!!), I was pretty sure I was in for a treat and I wasn't wrong.

Matt "Lastman" Standing is being blackmailed to do a job for "The Pool", a shady organisation; his mission is to hunt down and assassinate Ryan French, an ex-Navy Seal who hires himself out to the highest bidder.  This is not going to be an easy mission and Matt finds himself in the depths of the wilderness in western America knee deep in cannabis and up to his neck in trouble within a very short period of time.

With excellent and strong characters, an immersive plot and full of action, this is a great story.  I also learnt a heck of a lot about cannabis farming - not that it'll do me much good but it was interesting nonetheless. 

I very much look forward to reading more in this series and my thanks must go to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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Other books by Stephen Leather I have read and reviewed:

Slow Burn (Dan Shepherd #17)

Short Range (Dan Shepherd #16)

Penalties

Spider Shepherd: SAS The Sandpit

Natural Selection (A Spider Shepherd Short Story)

Slow Burn (Dan Shepherd #17) by Stephen Leather

 

Description from Goodreads:

"Should we bring them back?

There are thousands of jihadi brides in refugee camps in the Middle East. Some of them were once British before they were stripped of their citizenship. Were they brainwashed or simply naive when they set out for Syria as teenagers? And, if they were allowed to return, would they pose a threat to our country?

Spider Shepherd is about to be sent on an extraordinary mission to the Syrian border by his MI5 boss. There he will have to decide which of the women he meets is still a threat, and if not, which of them has information useful to the Secret Service and can be allowed back. His are life or death decisions.

But there is one bride he must take back to the UK whatever her circumstances. She is the wife of a notorious ISIS bombmaker, Salam Jaraf. Jaraf is an asylum seeker who has information on terrorist cells in Britain. But the bombmaker will only tell MI5 what he knows if his wife and son are brought to him. But it soon becomes obvious that hostile forces are following Spider and Mrs Jaraf across Turkey. Bringing this woman back from the warzone will become one of the most dangerous missions Spider has ever undertaken."

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Number 17 already ... I can't believe it ... I never get bored of reading about Dan "Spider" Shepherd's escapades, scrapes and feats of derring-do!  Mr Leather is extremely adept at keeping things fresh and exciting; these books never get old or feel like they are being re-hashed just for the sake of it and if you haven't yet read any of them, what is wrong with you!!!  You don't even need to read them in order to appreciate them but be warned, once you read 1 you will want to read them all.

Here we have the topical and very believable and scarily plausible tale of home-grown terrorism, the use of drones as weapons by terrorists, the question of whether to allow jihadi brides to return to the UK and the minor story of Chinese spies.  This sounds like a lot but don't be put off, it flows seamlessly and effortlessly and, for me, it feels like an accurate reflection of the life of an MI5 agent having to keep lots of plates in the air at once whilst trying to stop a disaster of epic proportions from happening.

This is an exciting read full of brilliant characters which is hard to put down ... yes I know this is a cliché but absolutely accurate in this instance.  There is less of the personal story in this one and more action ... I wonder if this is because the next instalment sees Spider and his son, Liam, team up on an operation?  Or is it going to delve into the Chinese intelligence angle?  Whatever it is, I for one can't wait, so hurry up Mr Leather and write faster 😀

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

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Short Range (Dan Shepherd #16) by Stephen Leather

Blurb from Goodreads:

"Dan 'Spider' Shepherd's career path - soldier, policeman, MI5 officer - has always put a strain on his family. So he is far from happy to learn that MI5 is using teenagers as informants. Parents are being kept in the dark and Shepherd fears that the children are being exploited.

As an undercover specialist, Shepherd is tasked with protecting a 15-year-old schoolboy who is being used to gather evidence against violent drug dealers and a right-wing terrorist group. But when the boy's life is threatened, Shepherd has no choice but to step in and take the heat.

And while Shepherd's problems mount up at work, he has even greater problems closer to home. His son Liam has fallen foul of the Serbian Mafia and if Shepherd doesn't intervene, Liam will die."

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Stephen Leather has done it again!  What? you may ask - written another brilliant Dan "Spider" Shepherd book that's what!

I admit that I am a fan and reading an instalment in the turbulent life of Spider is like putting on a pair of comfy shoes but don't for one minute think reading one of these books is easy and boring, far from it - you need to keep your wits about you as you will be in for a bumpy ride.

With fantastic characters, a very relevant and plausible story-line and twists and turns, this is one book you won't want to miss but that ending ... oh Mr Leather, why? I almost cried!

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

Please note this book will be published in the UK on 25th Jul 2019

Pre-order your copy now from your favourite retailer.

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