Spider Shepherd: SAS The Sandpit by Stephen Leather

Blurb:

“Who was Dan 'Spider' Shepherd before he signed up as an undercover cop and began working for MI5? The Sandpitrewinds with an action-packed rollercoaster to his days in the SAS...

Dan Shepherd and his SAS team are sent into the badlands of Afghanistan to train the rebels who are battling Taliban fanatics.

But what starts as a training mission in The Sandpit turns into a life or death struggle with Shepherd and his team very much in the firing line.

Soon they are caught up in an international intrigue that threatens the stability of the whole Middle East.

‘Let Spider draw you into his web, you won't regret it.’ Sun

‘The sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist.’Daily Express

‘A master of the thriller genre.’ Irish Times“

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Dan “Spider” Shepherd is one of my all-time favourite characters created by Stephen Leather and I have read all of the full-size novels featuring this complex and interesting character so to get a chance to find out a little bit about how he became the “person” I feel I know … well, I couldn’t pass that up could I so was happy when the publisher, Lawsome Books via NetGalley, approved me to read a copy in return for providing an unbiased review.

The story takes place in Afghanistan when Spider is still a serving soldier in the SAS. It also contains squad members Geordie, Jimbo and Jock - characters that also appear in the full length novels. Stephen catches the camaraderie and the complete trust between these elite soldiers extremely well.

The story follows the SAS squad on a mission into the Panjshir Valley to train rebels who are fighting the Taliban however, this seemingly straightforward task turns into something a little bit more! Now, it does appear a bit far-fetched at first but after watching a series on TV where real SAS men were interviewed about real-life missions, it doesn’t seem to be beyond the realms of reality at all.

There is action a plenty and the pace of the writing is perfect. There is a flow to the book that is natural and makes it easy to read as are all of Stephen’s books and I have no qualms in recommending any of them to readers who love great books that are not just action but are exciting reads full of fantastic characters.

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Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. He was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. Two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were made into movies. You can find out more from his website - http://www.stephenleather.com/

Twitter - stephenleather

Publisher - Lawsome Books

Natural Selection by Stephen Leather: A Spider Shepherd Short Story

"A good introduction to a great character"

Blurb from Goodreads:

"An action-packed short story featuring Dan “Spider” Shepherd during his days on the SAS selection course. Shepherd is tested to his limits - and is given his nickname.

Natural Selection is about 14,000 words, about thirty pages, perfect if you have half an hour to spare."

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I am a huge Stephen Leather fan and particularly love his character Dan “Spider” Shepherd. This short story introduces “Spider” and, for those of us who are already familiar with him, provides a little insight into his early years during selection for the SAS and the origins of his nickname. For those who aren’t, this short read provides an introduction to a great character and series of books that you will quickly become addicted to.

Even though this is a short story, it provides a good indication of the excellent writing style and skills of Stephen as an author and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good action story with great characters.

I downloaded this story from Amazon for free and as of today, 31st January 2016, it remains free so give it a go, you have nothing to lose.

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Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. He was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. Two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were made into movies. You can find out more from his website - http://www.stephenleather.com/

Twitter - stephenleather