SPIDER SHEPHERD

       Spider Shepherd is an agent with MI5.
       Born Daniel Shepherd but nicknamed Spider years ago, Shepherd was not always an agent of the British internal security apparatus. Over his adult years he held several different positions but the one thing they all had in common was they put Shepherd in the line of fire, facing imminent danger, and challenging him to pull off the near impossible time after time. Despite the odds, Shepherd came through.
       From the time he was a teenager, Shepherd wanted to be a soldier, not a spy. He dreamt of it and proudly told his parents that is what he was going to do. They had other ideas and he reluctantly listened. He made it as far as college preparing to become the lawyer they wanted. That was as far as he could take it for the call for something more exciting was too strong. He said goodbye to his favorite instructor, grimaced as his parents told him how he was ruining his life, and signed up.
       He joined the Parachute Regiment as that sounded the most interesting but it was just a short two years later that he applied for and got accepted to train for the Special Air Service, the elite force just a few ever make. He was one of those few. His duty in that proud organization took him all over the world and for six years he fought in many dangerous hell holes and while he undoubtedly told himself and others how crazy they all were to be doing what they did, he never thought of quitting. It was while with the SAS he got the nickname of spider as he, trying to win a bet for the most disgusting thing anyone could eat, consumed a tarantula.
       It was during that six years that he met and fell in love with Sue. They married and not much later were joined by a baby boy they named Liam. With a family to think of, Shepherd resigned from the SAS and took a "safe" job with the Metropolitan Police. His wife should have known, though, that safety was something he instinctively shied away from. Undercover work was offered and he took it, taking roles that put him in danger ever minute. Sue was less than thrilled but she loved him.
       As the series progresses, Shepherd's life will change several times. He will leave the police for a tougher job with the Serious Organized Crime Agency and then on to MI5. His love of excitement coupled with his devotion to duty and doing what was right never lets him say no to an assignment. That is just not who he is.
       To use his own words, "I'm an armed robber, a gunrunner, a drugs dealer, a hitman and a terrorist. Sometimes all in one week. I could be your best friend, or your worst nightmare. I could be holding a gun to your face one moment, and in the shadows the next. I could be buying you drinks or giving you enough rope to hang yourself with...and you'd never know..."
       That is Spider Shepherd.

       If you are looking for hard-pounding, non-stop action with a fascinating character, it is impossible to miss with Spider Shepherd. The man is testosterone solidified and I do not mean that in any way other than good. This character is blast to follow because he is far from perfect but he is darned good. He can take his lumps and he definitely can dish them out. He loves what he does and it shows.
       Something else that shows is how good an author the writer is. Stephen Leather has been creating dynamic hard-to-put-down books for years and he shows no sign of losing that knack. Each Shepherd book is different with the places and events and opponents all unique but the consistency is there with prose that will knock your socks off and a character that might do a lot worse if pushed. Do not push.
       One fact that demonstrates how terrific the author is comes from the knowledge that even as I have read and enjoyed the Shepherd novels so much, I have also had a blast with another character of his, Jack Nightingale, a former cop turned private eye who learns his soul was sold by his father to a demon when he was born. Needless to say, the two series are incredibly different and yet Stephen Leather pulls it off.
       It might be interesting to see who would win in a showdown between Nightingale and Shepherd. I would put my money on Shepherd but it would not be a big bet because I do not like to lose.

My Grade: A-

Your Average Grade:   A

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