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John Carr #2

The Angry Sea

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Brutal and brilliant Tom Marcus, author of SOLDIER SPYFormer SAS Sergeant Major John Carr is relaxing on a Spanish beach, when a man with dark eyes attracts his attention. Fixated on a group of young Britons, the man doesnt notice Carr and soon moves on.Within the hour, the Costa del Sol will be plunged into one of the most audacious and horrifying terrorist attacks Europe has ever seen.In a co-ordinated strike, armed men storm both the beach and a cruise ship anchored further up the coast. But the terrorists hiding personal greed under the veil of religious extremism have an even bolder plan.Constrained by the sensitive political situation, MI6 and the Prime Minister must confront the possibility of leading a secret operation against a brutal enemy. And then find the right man to head it . . .Enter John Carr.Praise for The Angry with authentic detail about the defence and intelligence communities, it rattles along at a furious pace, never takings its foot off the accelerator. A terrific story splendidly told Daily Mail**** . . . [A] top actioner Weekend Sport[Deegan] knows how to tell an unnervingly realistic story and The Angry Sea is involving from the start and gripping to the end ChoicePraise for James couldnt make it up. Brilliant Jeffrey ArcherInevitably Deegan will be compared to Andy McNab and Chris Ryan, but he adds his own brand of contemporary authenticity. Carr is a hero for our times.Daily MailAs close as it gets to the real thingMark 'Billy' Billingham MBE. Former SAS Warrant Officer and star of TV's SAS Who Dares WinsJames Deegan writes with masterful authority and unsurpassed experience as he transports the reader deep into the troubles of Northern Ireland and then brings them back up to date with a dramatic bang Chantelle Taylor, Combat Medic and author of Battleworn

512 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2019

430 people are currently reading
280 people want to read

About the author

James Deegan

2 books106 followers
James Deegan, who is writing under a pseudonym, was one of the most operationally experienced members of Britain’s elite force, the Special Air Service . He saw almost continuous service on operations in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan and fought in both Gulf Wars. Deegan was twice decorated for gallantry while in the SAS. He grew up in Niddrie, Edinburgh, Scotland and is the father of four.

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5 stars
1,466 (58%)
4 stars
764 (30%)
3 stars
198 (7%)
2 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Alex Cantone.
Author 3 books42 followers
August 31, 2022
These shallow, trivial people, splashing and playing in the shallows, and drinking themselves insensible in the nearby bars – they thought that narrow, tranquil strip of water protected them from the rage. But today it was an angry sea, and it had brought God’s wrath to these shores…

Former SAS SM John Carr is taking a well-earned break on the Costa del Sol when Jihadi terrorists attack a cruise ship and slaughter young people and families enjoying the beach outside Marbella. Naturally, while people are fleeing the beach, John Carr and son George are heading in the opposite direction to tackle the gunmen. The carnage is to deflect from the abduction of three young British women, among them, the PM’s daughter, a human rights lawyer. Once back in the UK, Carr is charged with heading a small team to find and hopefully rescue the women that, Intel reports suggest were taken to Morocco (a friendly country) and then on to Libya – which is run by local warlords and everything has a price.

Read for a challenge, this is the second book by Scots-born, former decorated SAS veteran James Duggan (an alias) and inevitably he will be compared with other ex-SAS turned authors, Chris Ryan and Andy McNab. But for me the style is more that of Gerald Seymour. A useful map, gritty characters set against desert landscapes and murderous fanatics. Plenty of action and a firefight with (some) luck on the teams side as the narration switches between MI6 and the PM in London and the veterans and Jihadi’s at the pointy end of the stick. Equipment failure, innocents turning up at inconvenient times, not everyone is who they seem to be. It’s all here, and even after the mission there are loose ends to be tied up, leading to a satisfying read.

Readers looking for a well-written action-packed drama will enjoy this one, and I will be seeking out Duggan’s earlier work, Once A Pilgrim
Profile Image for 8stitches 9lives.
2,853 reviews1,720 followers
January 25, 2019
The Angry Sea is the third instalment in the John Carr series, and although it's hardly an original concept the execution is so brilliantly done that it makes up for the lack of originality. The writing and pace are perfect, and the action-packed, thrill-a-minute plot is completely gripping from the very beginning. There were a few issues which made me drop a star on the rating - I feel there should be a glossary of terminology for those with no prior knowledge of military wording because trying to work out what some of the terms meant impacted the flow of the novel each time, and secondly, the narrative often feels male oriented due to some mildly sexist comments and ubiquitous profanity, but I am here to tell writers that women also read these type of stories; in fact they are one of my favourite type of books.

As an ex-SAS man Deegan pens an authentic military action novel, but of course, the reader needs to suspend their disbelief quite substantially as some of the happenings seem serendipitous. If you enjoy books by Chris Ryan, Andy McNab, Tom Marcus and Stephen Leather you will find much to like here. The terrorism that precipitates the SAS-style mission is full of non-stop thrills and spills with a tension that builds steadily and results in a satisfying climax. Due to the focus being on the action and set pieces the character development is somewhat neglected with most of them being stereotypical of the genre. This is a quick, easy read and the epitome of a page-turner. I look forward to the next instalment.

Many thanks to HQ for an ARC.
Profile Image for Sean Peters.
799 reviews116 followers
August 8, 2021
Former SAS Sergeant Major John Carr is relaxing on a Spanish beach, when a man with dark eyes attracts his attention. Fixated on a group of young Britons, the man doesn’t notice Carr and soon moves on.

Within the hour, the Costa del Sol will be plunged into one of the most audacious and horrifying terrorist attacks Europe has ever seen.

In a co-ordinated strike, armed men storm both the beach and a cruise ship anchored further up the coast. But the terrorists – hiding personal greed under the veil of religious extremism – have an even bolder plan.

Constrained by the sensitive political situation, MI6 and the Prime Minister must confront the possibility of leading a secret operation against a brutal enemy. And then find the right man to head it . . .

Enter John Carr.

James Deegan, a twice-decorated SAS veteran, makes John Carr an entirely credible three-dimensional hero, with earthy wit and appetites’ with a powerful authority and a unsurpassed knowledge and experience, creating a collection of powerful and realistic characters in an unnervingly realistic story.

JAMES DEEGAN MC was born in Edinburgh, grew up in the tough suburb of Niddrie, and joined the Parachute Regiment in his teens.

After five years, he passed Selection for 22 SAS, and was immediately deployed with his Squadron for the first Gulf War, where he was among the first Coalition soldiers to cross the border into Iraq.
He crossed into Iraq again in 2003, this time in command of his Troop, and is the only man to have crossed the border on both occasions with a Sabre Troop.

He saw active service across the Globe - during which time he was decorated twice for gallantry - and retired after seventeen years in the Special Air Service as a Regimental Sergeant Major, described by his commanding officer as ‘one of the most operationally experienced SAS men of his generation’.

Treading in the footsteps of now established SAS soldiers and now successful authors Chris Ryan and Andy McNab, he brings a powerful new hero in John Carr.

Well paced , action thriller, gritty, and powerful story, great characters, nasty villains.

What more do you need ! A clear four stars.

All I ask now is bring John Carr in a thriller with Ryan Kaine by Kerry J Donovan !
32 reviews
July 27, 2019
It’s hard to know whether to admit to spoilers or not in this review because there is nothing in The Angry Sea that hasn’t been done, better, elsewhere. Terrorists kidnap the daughter of GB’s PM and it falls to our reluctant hero to rescue her. Which we know he’ll do. The first half of the book is a set up for the last half, but it’s either too abbreviated, nonsensical, or unnecessarily complicated. The scenes aren’t adequately described. The characters are cartoonishly two dimensional. I could take that if the book is plot driven. But it isn’t and multiple consecutive two page chapters with the same characters won’t make it so....
He does the set piece of the hostage rescue well. But that’s all. That earns him one star.
In short if you like the genre and you’re content to sleep through the first half and overlook the obvious set up ending, by all means read it. If you’re looking for something good, or original; look elsewhere....
As I will be. No more John Carr for me, thank you.
Profile Image for Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books).
581 reviews84 followers
June 26, 2020
From the beginning to the end this book was fantastic. Exciting and full of adventure. You should pick this up if you like action.
Profile Image for Nick Brett.
1,050 reviews67 followers
January 25, 2019
I enjoyed the first book and this follow up is equally good, the likes of McNab and Ryan should be looking over their shoulders with concern.
After a major terrorist incident where holiday makers abroad are slaughtered, the Prime Minister’s daughter is kidnapped for ransom. An off the books team of ex-SAS members, including John Carr, start tracking down the very dangerous bad guys in the desert with an agressive rescue in mind.
Lots to like here, good characters, plenty of action, authentic action and a UK Intelligence Service that is competent and effective. Also some nice twists, especially regarding one character.
The only downside to me is that it is a bit too much pointed towards the male reader. The action, gore and swearing is what you might expect, but Carr as a character is a bit sex obsessed and the writing can veer towards being sexist. I don’t want to make a big thing of it, but it felt a bit over the top and added nothing to what was an exciting story.
Profile Image for Clive Cook.
171 reviews
November 19, 2024
A second excellent outing for Mr Carr, an all-action, straight talking, bad-guy topping ex special forces whizz. Dealing fatal retribution to evil villains and ner-do-wells for their ill-advised violent actions and plans, this is excellent, high-octane stuff, with tense thrills aplenty, and satisfyingly detailed descriptions of the tech required to mete out calculated and well deserved violent justice.
Excellent, and very recommended.
103 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2020
The four stars are mainly based on the second half of the book. After an exciting start, there was a long lull before the protagonists headed out to Libya. The chapters from hereon in were very tense, and I could hardly put the book down. Still quite linear though, and hardly a plot twist in sight.
Profile Image for Charles Haworth.
249 reviews8 followers
February 4, 2019
I actually liked this one a lot more than the first in the series.

OK so it is super soldier machine gun nonsense - ex SAS men do brave things shooting bad terrorists. Cliche galore and a not entirely plausible plot roars along riding roughshod over reality with predictable consequences.

However it does roar, pages turn easily, the action is well done and the plot whilst silly does not go super silly and into the realms of terror "porn". It does fly by, I read the whole thing in a day whilst on a lot of trains. It feels like nonsense but believable nonsense and I like it.

The real winning bit this time is the relationships and language between the people. I imagine this is how hard ex SAS men talk and the lead character is a bit more likable, not just a sexed up bloke banter machine.
Profile Image for Mark.
117 reviews9 followers
February 25, 2019
A long way off the first, Carr seemed a bit too arrogant in this one too... Although that could just be due to the audiobook narrator.

This started really well and I thought I was in for an absolute treat, but for me it got a little bit too out there and didn't go in the direction I was expecting and not in a good way.

Also the setup part of the book was a little disjointed, the chapters must have been about 2-4 paragraphs long for about 50 odd pages. I felt like I was being thrown all over the place, this also meant that hardly any of the characters had any depth.

It was a good military thriller, but not in the same epic league of Once a Pilgrim.
1 review
March 4, 2019
Loved the first book and this was an excellent follow-on. Fast paced, well written and compelling reading. Highly recommended. Look forward to the next book!
Profile Image for Simon.
192 reviews7 followers
January 27, 2019
Absolute Star Quality!

James Deegan has the X-Factor and I don't mean the cringeworthy Simon Cowell, look at me kind! Naturally given his background he brings a level of authentic knowledge to his stories which is very rare but where he really triumphs is that he handles this expertise like a genuinely mature author. His success is down to more than just expert knowledge. He has created a British anti-hero in John Carr who stands head and shoulders above most in the genre. Of course, he is tough, highly skilled and at times ruthless, even cruel. But it's also clear that this is a very human character with those traits born out of necessity.

I personally also really enjoy Joshua Manning's narration though I noted from the previous book that quite a few people had issues with it so it might be worth checking out the sample before you buy. To me, he has a rich, strong timbre to his voice that perfectly matches my image of John Carr and he has a range of voices and accents that allow me to identify characters clearly. Opinions obviously differ but I enjoy listening to him very much.

Above and beyond Carr himself there are other strong characters and having so wonderfully transported me to the tense streets of Northern Ireland in the previous book this time Deegan dumped me in a desert in the Middle East. He does this with such fine authenticity that I could almost feel the burning heat and the gritty sand in my bodily crevices! Deegan brings places to life with a brilliant fusion of the mundane detail and the dramatic tensions. He had me feeling that the cards truly were up in the air and I had to wait for them to fall to see the outcome. Every encounter out there no matter how trivial it seemed could have spelt disaster for Carr and those with him. The tension was fantastic and the story brought home that while these might be troubled lands they are not just populated by violent, evil men, but also good honest people and their families trying to eke out a normal life for themselves and their children. It's literally and figuratively a minefield!

I can't recommend these books highly enough for fans of the genre, John Carr is a man you want to believe in, James Deegan is an author that you can believe in.
Profile Image for Steve.
161 reviews
July 20, 2019
A great follow up to the first in what I hope becomes a long series. John Carr as a character is ex Special Services who gets involved in a terrorist attack whilst on holiday and ends up deeper than he expected. I have said in the review of the first book, what sets these apart from the ex Black Ops type soldier who has a hard life an is thrust into some political violent action, is the details. There is some good background to the planning of an "op" and heroics, which live up to expectations, are not unbelievable with consequences for some of the actions. Loved this one and hope there are may more.
1 review
June 20, 2019
I really did not enjoy this book at all. The graffic violence is pretty grim. Call me soft if you like but the detailed descriptions of people’s demise seems to be intended only to shock. Talk of teenagers being “smeared like strawberry jam on the sand” is hardly worthwhile prose. I found the characters unbelievable and much of the dialogue thin.
All of which is a pity because the plot is ok and the twist quite clever.
No idea why it is called the angry sea - the sea forms very little part of the story which seems to me to be misleading.
94 reviews
September 6, 2019
Captivating, gripping and Oh soooo nerve wracking....

Just amazing. The heart pounding sequel to Once a Pilgrim. I absolutely love John Carr and his comrades. The Depth of the characters are palpable. I was on holiday in Spain when I was reading this and it made me anxious walking alongside the beach...it's thought provoking with a brilliant plot running through from start to finish. To say my heart was pounding is an understatement. Highly, highly recommended. I'm so sad I've finished the book without the next one to read.
5 reviews
January 6, 2020
It seems as if the whole book just focuses on one para-military operation. It's not a terrible book - but I'm a sucker for military fiction so take this with a grain of salt. #1 definitely felt more nuanced. It almost feels like this book exposes a few key weaknesses in the author's style. All women fall over backwards when meeting John Carr? Military is tough, vigilante is the way to go, due process is overrated, etc. pp.
83 reviews
April 14, 2020
Reads More ‘Clever Thriller’ than usual Special Forces Type Book

Just as the title says. If you (hopefully) have come across this excellent book, even if ‘not the sort of thing you normally read’, there’s a lot and more to stop you from putting it down.
If you haven’t read the first book in the series, equally good, so on to that next. Not really a prob reading them out of order.
Very much look forward to a new one.
Excellent stuff.
341 reviews4 followers
November 29, 2020
Non Stop Action - 5 Stars

Wow, the first book, Once A Pilgrim’ was excellent, and this book was equally as good. It was almost impossible to find a natural pause point for me to put the book down. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and very much look forward to book number 3 at some point. A huge pat on the back for the author, James Deegan. From me, another well deserved 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
169 reviews
July 10, 2022
The angry sea.

What can I say? Brilliant, just bleeding brilliant. Have to say our hero, although Scottish, had just the attitude of friends of mine from the North, hard and takes no nonsense which appeals to me that’s for sure. Second book in the series and just as good as the first. James Deegan is getting into his stride with our hero and I’m loving every chapter. Now onto the next one.
1 review
April 25, 2019
And McNabb had better watch his six ! ,

I really enjoyed this book ,had a real job putting it down ,have read both his books , really easy to get drawn in to the story , I am a 20 stone engineer who has had a triple heart bypass cut after reading this i feel like I could single handedly take on all the bad guys and kick there arse
107 reviews
July 20, 2019
Different

If you have read the first in the series then you will enjoy this. But it's so far away from the story of the first book. Character is the same but much more modern environment. Well written and gripping for the most part. Ending was a bit weak but maybe being overly critical. Enjoyable from from start to finish.
Profile Image for Mr Michael R Stevens.
457 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2020
Fast Paced, Grips From The Start

Second In the series and if anything better than the first. Starts at a cracking pace and then accelerates. This book has enough technical detail to satisfy those who need it and enough 'insider's information to tell the story accurately.
A great story, Hard to put down, bring on number three.
575 reviews6 followers
May 2, 2021
Given James Deegan's bio, he must know absolutely clearly what he's writing about in covert and combat situations. This makes his novels absolutely riveting, fast moving, and great stories with all Carr's thought processes thrown into the mix. Loved the first book, the second has been just as good, so roll on the next one.
6 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2021
As real as it gets

What a brilliant character John Carr is. Move over Reacher this guy is big, gritty and British. Reading this book makes you appreciate what our special service men do for us everyday. These guys keep the bogey men away and keep the rest of is safe from those that mean us harm. Thank you
3 reviews
February 8, 2019
Fantastic read filled with kicks, shots, punches and blasphemy

Gripping action packed story that keeps you on edge and away from work. Would make a fantastic film. Hopefully Deegan is busy plotting the next John Carr adventure.
Profile Image for Stewart.
47 reviews
April 24, 2019
I enjoyed this novel - the first I have read by this author. It is full of action as one would expect from a novel about a terrorist kidnapping of a high-profile subject. to enable better understanding of the technology I thought the author could have elaborated on some of the many initialisms or provided a glossary.
Highly recommended and hard to put down.
3 reviews
June 21, 2019
It was OK, but not great. Starting to sound a bit like a cross between Jack Reacher (well researched and well described) and something written by Clive Cussler (just not believable... ). Worth a read though.
Profile Image for TonyAntSonWil .
481 reviews18 followers
August 1, 2019
HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER... This is how you write a phenomenal Thriller. Once a Pilgrim was superb but this second book accelerates right into the stratosphere. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Profile Image for Noelle.
Author 1 book6 followers
August 2, 2019
Great summer read, I actually read it while in Malaga (where part of the book occurs) - which was fun, the author keeps your interest and there are no dull moments so it's perfect for taking to the beach to keep your mind going. :)
Profile Image for Gina.
63 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2019
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, and I must say it is a very good read.
I can’t wait for the follow up, if and when it comes out.
I hope the author reads this, and can give me some idea..I’ll recommend this author to my friends....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews

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