3.5 stars.

Only someone with Patterson's publishing clout can scribe a book of 140 pages in less-than-standard size and still have a co-author. These bookshots are him really fulfilling his destiny as the "idea man", truly living The Dream.

This one in particular read like an action film - cold open scene of some rich dude being Terrible and Cruel with his wealth and influence. It cuts to our intrepid hero determined to find his old commanding officer after a year's silence. He is approached by MI5 with information; armed with this intel, he will Stop Them At All Costs. Will he succeed? (Of course he will, this is an action movie bookshot.)

Our hero is David Shelley, former SAS and recovering alcoholic, who likes monologuing his Elite Skillz at any tracksuit who looks at him cross-eyed while maintaining an "aura of danger". He's managed to scrape a real life together after leaving the service, "with a wife and a dog". At least Lucy gets some decent screen time; shame about Frankie.

Despite these tropes (or perhaps because of - I've never claimed to have sophisticated taste), it was an easy, entertaining read. Mission objective complete in more than one way.