RYAN WELLER

Full Name:	Ryan Weller
Nationality:	American
Organization:	DWR
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Evan Graver
Time Span:	2018 - 2024

ABOUT THE SERIES

Ryan Weller is an agent with DWR.

Once it is established that the acronym stands for Dark Water Research and that it is legally an American commercial dive and salvage company, it would seem more appropriate to say he was an employee than operative but there is a bit more to DWR than is normally mentioned in any earnings statement.

On paper DWR, established during World War II, "had grown from a two-person shop to a worldwide conglomerate. It provided a wide range of inspection, design, and maintenance services, from in-water ship repairs to underwater construction, but its bread and butter was the oil service industry." It currently operates just north of Galveston and when we first learn of it, its new CEO was Greg Olsen, son of the previous leader and an EOD expert who was now confined to a wheelchair since "shrapnel from an IED had severed is spinal cord". He assumed the lead position after his parents were killed in a terrorist attack.

In addition to its many overt projects, "as DWR had expanded, the company had worked alongside the government on maritime security issues in and around the waters of the United States, before being asked to run clandestine operations on their behalf." For several decades now, a good part of the company's income came from hush-hush underwater missions brought to it by the DOD and DHS. With the two previous CEO's being former SEALs, underwater demolition work, both offensive and defensive, came natural. With DHS calling with a new mission, a replacement EOD man was needed and that is how Weller is brought in.

Six-foot-tall Weller, with "wide shoulders and a narrow waist" and muscles "hardened and strengthened [by] years of constant physical exercise", is a native of Wilmington, NC. Though the family business was home construction, his love of the water had been with him since his youth and his purchase of a Sabre 36 sailboat in terrible shape which he and his father had reconditioned.

Weller served in the Navy in the Explosive Ordinance Disposal division for over ten years, the last couple in the arid land-locked Afghanistan where he was severely injured in an enemy attack. He was shot twice and saw his best friend, the Olsen mentioned above, nearly killed. Since that event, Weller has returned to civilian life but still has to deal with recurring PTSD.

Despite that problem, though, Weller is, when we meet him, in need of adventure. When the offer from DWR came, it did not take him long to say yes.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	15
First Appearance:	2018
Last Appearance:	2024


1			Dark Water Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2018 "Ryan Weller misses the surge of adrenaline from his days as an explosives expert. So, when his friend recruits him for an anti-terrorist organization, he gladly leaps back into dangerous waters. But he could be in over his head when his first mission puts him on the trail of deadly outlaws in the Florida Keys… Scuba diving for clues among the shipwrecks, he discovers a sinister connection with Mexican arms smugglers. And when the merciless bandits come gunning for his blood, he suspects there may be a threat to the entire U.S. lurking beneath the surface."

2			Dark Ship Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2018 "Ryan Weller relishes his new black-ops career, taking down terrorist scum. So when the former Navy bomb-disposal tech catches wind of a notorious arms dealer running under the radar, he races into action to sink his next shipment. But with a Russian mercenary determined to collect the two-million-dollar bounty on his head, he may be deep-sixed just as things explode. Despite the target on his back, Weller and his team mount an undercover mission at sea to stop a massive weapons cache from falling into the hands of a brutal Haitian dictator.

3			Dark Horse Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2018 "Ryan Weller has gold fever. He knows where the Santo Domingo lies in three hundred and fifty feet of water. Unfortunately, he's no longer employed by Dark Water Research and he must find his own salvage vessel and crew. Retrieving the gold won't be easy at depths man wasn't meant to survive. Surviving the savage ocean might be the least of his worries. Ryan is also caught between a ruthless Haitian warlord and international arms dealer, Jim Kilroy both eager to reclaim the prize. Kilroy wants his gold, a payment for an arms deal gone bad. He'll stop at nothing to force Ryan to cooperate, including kidnapping Ryan's beautiful ex-girlfriend, Emily Hunt. The gold for Emily. But the warlord demands a ransom too, the gold for his life."

4			Dark Shadows Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 9 "Diego Figueroa and his crew are stealing cargo containers on the storm-ravaged island of Puerto Rico. At first, they did it to feed and clothe a desperate population. Now, they’re doing it for profit. Dark Water Research discovers the police are being paid to turn a blind eye to the situation, they call in their troubleshooter, Ryan Weller. When Ryan finds a repainted DWR container about to be shipped off the island, he devises a plan to track it with GPS. However, Diego springs his own trap, a near deadly ambush that leaves a cop wounded and Ryan on the run."

5			Dark Paradise Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2019 "Ryan Weller is working a salvage job off the Virgin Islands when he hears the familiar voice of Mango Hulsey on the radio, saying his sailboat has been stolen. Immediately, Ryan sets sail for Martinique to help his friend locate his boat." "When a tip leads to the discovery of Mango's boat, he and Ryan find the two dead bodies and are immediately thrust into the hunt for a man the news media has labeled "The Sailboat Slasher" and the woman he's kidnapped. Sorenson's misdeeds catch up with him and he's captured by the police in Trinidad. Unfortunately, they're too late to rescue the girl from the men Billy Ron has sold her to."

6			Dark Fury Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2019 "Ryan Weller killed a man in self-defense in Venezuela before being captured by the country's remorseless secret police and tortured as an American spy. Fearing he won't live to see another day, he jumps at the chance to escape when an old foe shows up. She'll help him break out of prison, but he must help her assassinate a cold-blooded Mexican cartel leader in return."

7			Dark Hunt Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2020 "When an old flame approaches commercial diver Ryan Weller to help locate a hijacked freighter missing off the coast of Haiti, he has no idea that hunting for the stolen ship will lead him again into harm's way. Captured by Syrian extremists hellbent on revenge, the missing vessel cruises across the Caribbean Sea with a single purpose, striking a catastrophic blow against the United States. Trailing in their wake, Ryan, a former U.S. Navy EOD tech, prepares a team to intercept the freighter at sea and halt the disaster that looms. But with time against him, can Ryan take back the ship and prevent a deadly terror attack before it’s too late?"

8			Dark Path Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2020 "On hiatus from his commercial diving job at Dark Water Research, Ryan Weller takes a shot at happiness by sailing around the Caribbean with his beautiful girlfriend. When Ryan comes across a couple in distress aboard a sinking sailboat, he immediately answers the call to action and leaps beneath the waves to perform a daring rescue. Saving the lives of those on board, he uncovers a far-reaching money laundering network, and a disgruntled Marine determined to track down and eradicate its members."

9			Dark Prey Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2021 "While spending time in his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, Ryan Weller receives a call from an old friend, Chad Yeager. Out of his depth with a local loan shark, Chad’s life has been turned upside-down by poor judgement and coercion. Unable to ignore his friend’s plight when the shark’s thugs put Chad in the hospital, Ryan dives in to help. To rescue Chad, Ryan goes head-to-head with the shark, dismantling his businesses as he goes. However, things quickly spiral out of his control. The police arrest Chad and kidnappers brazenly snatch his mother off the street, forcing Ryan to make an arduous choice. Accepting the only way to get her back is to do the shark’s bidding, Ryan is forced to gamble with the lives of those he cares about the most, but how far is Ryan willing to go to snare his prey?"

10			Dark Fraud Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2021 "When the cargo freighter Mount Olympia is destroyed by fire, the ship’s owner is quick to file an insurance claim against their lost asset. But when the investigator sent to inspect the damage turns up dead, the insurance company dispatches their best investigator, Emily Hunt. Sensing his fiancée might need protection, former Navy EOD tech turned commercial diver Ryan Weller accompanies her to Mexico to complete the inquiry. However, the closer they get to the truth, the larger the body count becomes, and once again Ryan finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister enemy. Keen to learn how the fire started, Ryan sneaks aboard the stricken vessel. What he finds there goes far beyond insurance fraud …."

11			Dark Drone Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2022 "When a space-based drone conveying part of an orbital defense system plummets into the Caribbean, the U.S. military scrambles to retrieve their missing tech. The nearest vessel to the crash site is Ryan Weller’s personal catamaran, and the top brass waste no time in enlisting Ryan’s help in diving for the drone. Determined as ever, Ryan locates the missing UAV, but before he and his colleagues at Dark Water Research can raise it from the ocean floor, they come under fire from a detachment of Chinese Special Forces intent on securing the satellite for their own use."

12			Dark Country Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2022 "A group of American missionaries are taken hostage in the slums of Jalousie, Haiti. With the mission’s CEO unable to meet the ransom, only one option remains: to issue a contract for their rescue. To protect their people, GOSPEL turns to an unconventional savior: Dark Water Research. Although the contracts remit is strictly salvation rather than salvage, Ryan and his team of veteran contractors are the ideal solution. .. But when Ryan learns there’s more to one of the missionaries than first meets the eye, he’s thrust headfirst into a pitched battle against a brutal drug smuggling operation. Headed by the elusive Mister Smith, the CIA-funded network provides a direct conduit to the heart of the United States’ ravenous narcotics trade, and it’s a venture Smith will move heaven and earth to protect."

13			Dark Order Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2022 "When Steve Carlton purchases Big Darby Island in the Exuma Cays so his daughter can build a tropical getaway, he’s faced with one disaster after another. Someone wants him to leave his own island and is willing to do whatever it takes to make him. Desperate, Carlton turns to Ryan Weller, whose growing reputation as a troubleshooter has garnered more headlines than he’d like. He agrees to exorcise the “ghosts” that haunt Big Darby, but when the former EOD tech arrives, the only person he finds is Carlton’s daughter Diane, a woman hellbent on restoring a neglected house and to starting a new life. She’s not about to be scared off or persuaded to leave, even if it’s for her own good. The 'ghosts' have their own plans—a methodical search for Nazi gold secreted out of Berlin during the closing days of World War II. To find it, they’ll let nothing—or no one—stand in their way."

14			Dark Cover-Up Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2023 "When Ryan Weller is contacted by a mother still struggling to come to terms with her daughter’s death six years ago, he cannot ignore her pleas for him to investigate. Ryan knows the kind of scars unanswered questions can leave, and Penny Macklin’s death poses plenty?but the former U.S. Navy EOD tech turned freelance troubleshooter also knows that digging into her past means digging into his own. With the help of his trusted team, Ryan dives into the investigation, determined to uncover the truth. Learning Penny’s death might be connected to an international smuggling ring, Ryan once again finds himself in the line of fire as he challenges an adversary willing to do anything to keep the truth buried with Penny. Despite the danger, Ryan pushes forward, determined to bring closure to Penny’s family. To succeed, he must find the killer and the enigmatic shipwreck the smugglers are seeking. The case might be cold, but the fury Ryan feels against injustice burns hotter than ever …"

15			Dark Angel Written by Evan Graver Copyright: 2024 "Ryan Weller becomes unwittingly embroiled in a CIA mission when a case of mistaken identity thrusts him into the center of a high-stakes operation. Tasked with disrupting the sale of a small defense contractor to an Iranian front, Ryan’s involvement intertwines with the perilous situation of Megan Babcock, a billionaire facing danger from her manipulative and volatile husband."

MY COMMENTS

The fun of reading about a person who has fun in his work comes from knowing that he is having a blast (literally a lot, figuratively always) doing what I for one love reading about someone doing.

In other words, he loves what he is doing and I have loved following him doing it.

And both of us have a love of the sea and being on the water. I don't do it very much anymore but I still adore reading about those who do.

And with the wide range of things that his employer, DWR, gets involved in, both commercially and in conjunction with the government, there is a wonderfully wide assortment of trouble Weller can get into.

Added 02/05/2023:

I read the first couple of Ryan Weller adventures, liked them and gave them a B+ grade. Then I moved on to other series. Over time, new books came out and I added them to the list. Did not take the time to read them as I had so many other series to peruse. Did not reevaluate my grade.

Bad move on my part. This series just gets better and better. The character was already darn good from the get-go. The improvement is the writing and it is now a joy to read. I've upped the grade as it deserves.

GRADE

My Grade: A-

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