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A Steve Dane Thriller #1
The Rogue Gentleman
"...excellent debut book from an up-and coming writer...full of surprises and each page brings the reader something new." ----Amazon Review
"...[it's] like ... the Godfather and a James Bond film were deep, complex characters, with motives that aren't always entirely clear." --Amazon Review
"...absolutely loved the banter between Steve and Nina. The characters come alive and draw you into their story." --Amazon Review
Steve Dane never should have set foot in Italy. Witnessing a young woman’s kidnapping, the former-agent-turned-knight-errant is drawn into the decades-old vendetta behind the crime.
Hired by the girl's father, racing against time as her life hangs in the balance, Dane battles the mafia who want him dead and the police and international agents who want him out of the way. With the help of his lover, Nina Talikova, Dane plunges along a path that leads him past a mere kidnapping and into an ever-more complex world of high stakes, ruled by a powerful and mysterious woman known only as The Duchess.
Life, it seems, is getting cheaper than Dane could ever imagine and The Duchess has put a price on the ultimate weapon that will make it worthless. Only he and Nina have the power to stop a clock that is ticking away the life of both the girl and the world.
The debut Steve Dane novel from Brian Drake, The Rogue Gentleman is a new addition to the great action thriller tradition. Fans of Mitch Rapp, John Milton and Jack Reacher will love Steve Dane!.
The Rogue Gentleman is an up-all-night thriller-—perfect for fans of tough heroes, a strong female protagonist, and action-packed thrill rides, with a twist of romantic intrigue on the side.
"...[it's] like ... the Godfather and a James Bond film were deep, complex characters, with motives that aren't always entirely clear." --Amazon Review
"...absolutely loved the banter between Steve and Nina. The characters come alive and draw you into their story." --Amazon Review
Steve Dane never should have set foot in Italy. Witnessing a young woman’s kidnapping, the former-agent-turned-knight-errant is drawn into the decades-old vendetta behind the crime.
Hired by the girl's father, racing against time as her life hangs in the balance, Dane battles the mafia who want him dead and the police and international agents who want him out of the way. With the help of his lover, Nina Talikova, Dane plunges along a path that leads him past a mere kidnapping and into an ever-more complex world of high stakes, ruled by a powerful and mysterious woman known only as The Duchess.
Life, it seems, is getting cheaper than Dane could ever imagine and The Duchess has put a price on the ultimate weapon that will make it worthless. Only he and Nina have the power to stop a clock that is ticking away the life of both the girl and the world.
The debut Steve Dane novel from Brian Drake, The Rogue Gentleman is a new addition to the great action thriller tradition. Fans of Mitch Rapp, John Milton and Jack Reacher will love Steve Dane!.
The Rogue Gentleman is an up-all-night thriller-—perfect for fans of tough heroes, a strong female protagonist, and action-packed thrill rides, with a twist of romantic intrigue on the side.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2012
768 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Brian Drake
59 books41 followersBrian Drake has been a writer of mystery, crime and adventure fiction since his first publication at age 25. As a troublemaker in high school, Drake was once accused of contributing to the delinquency of his classmates; now, as an internationally-selling thriller writer, he can contribute to the delinquency of the whole earth. He is lifelong resident of California, but keeps running out of reasons to stay. In his spare time, Drake can be found racing through Sacramento County in a bright red hot rod. Someday he may get a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 27, 2018
Brian Drake's Skills to Kill is a cool thriller that leans towards the elegance and sophisticated world of spying reminiscent of a Mission Impossible or James Bond film.
The scene is Italy and a spy couple who have a lot of fun with their tongue and check humor are on holidays. But of course that can't last, and soon they are involved in foiling a kidnapping. Then an deal with the Mafia to settle an old score.
The action soon shifts to a more nefarious plot involving an intriguing arms dealer known only as the Duchess, and a weapon of mass destruction up for sale. The novel features a nice balance of action, dialogue and colorful characters. A thriller that the author certainly had a lot of fun writing, and this comes across.
The scene is Italy and a spy couple who have a lot of fun with their tongue and check humor are on holidays. But of course that can't last, and soon they are involved in foiling a kidnapping. Then an deal with the Mafia to settle an old score.
The action soon shifts to a more nefarious plot involving an intriguing arms dealer known only as the Duchess, and a weapon of mass destruction up for sale. The novel features a nice balance of action, dialogue and colorful characters. A thriller that the author certainly had a lot of fun writing, and this comes across.
March 6, 2015
An episodic, yet entertaining adventure as Steve Dane and Nina, his significant other, stumble into various plots by arms dealer, The Duchess. They travel across the world, and have various adventures.
I was swept up in events and entertained the whole way through!
I was swept up in events and entertained the whole way through!
August 22, 2021
Brian Drake – Steve Dane Series Bk 1 – Skills to Kill – Reviewed 8/21/21 – Read 8/11-12/21
How did kidnapping turn into the possible destruction of the world? When the clock started ticking!
Working for the CIA, Ex-Marine Steve Dane was on a mission in Central America when the helicopter he was in crashed. He managed to get himself and a friend, Len Lukavina out, but when it exploded, fuel went everywhere and some soaked into their fatigues, catching them on fire. He was able to roll in the dirt and only one side was burned but his friend was not so lucky. Even though he keeps the burns covered at all times wearing long-sleeved shirts, he uses it as a motto: “You’ve survived the worst. Everything else is easy.” But it also tells him that he is vulnerable! After recovery he left the CIA, forming a mercenary team called the 30-30 Battalion. A job in South Africa that went south, set him up with a diamond mine that will take care of him for life. Then his father committed suicide after being accused of treason, but no matter what he did he could not prove that he was not guilty. So, he left that world behind and ran. Sometime later he met the love of his life, Nina Talikova. They were both after some jewels that turned out to be fake. Now, life is bearable working together.
They had arrived in Italy for some much-needed rest. The next morning, they had just finished breakfast, ready to start the day, but while they were waiting at the curb for their jag, they witnessed an eye-catching young woman roughly being forced into a black vehicle. She struck her head on the roof cutting off her scream while being shoved in by the big man, then the door slammed shut. Being a sucker for the underdog, Steve leaped into action, he tackled the man, immediately Steve knew this guy was a professional with brutal power behind each fist as they struck him. Breaking free of Steve, he entered the car, then it raced away. Steve knew he had to help so he jumped into his car and followed in pursuit. This was a professional kidnapping, and they were prepared. They had another vehicle tailing them, which immediately slammed into the back of Steve’s causing severe damage to his jag. then both cars took off leaving him stranded. Later the father of the kidnapped young woman contacted him and hired them to retrieve her.
Join Steve and Nina as the kidnapping turns into a high stake’s gambit, with an ultimate weapon that could end the world for all…
What did I like? When you read books by an author with a bio that reads like a man of action, you could only expect the best from his storylines, Brian certainly did not let me down. Steve Dane is a man of the world, rich, handsome, but looking for his lost world without ever admitting it. Nina is the answer to his search and together they can face anything, both damaged but with an air of invincibility surrounding them.
What will you like? Believable action, intense intrigue and mystery, humor like a gift from heaven, and living life large as can be. Brian breathes life into his storyline with intricate descriptions, details that leap off the pages, and characters that will blow your socks off. When you read, you become so involved in the action that laying the book down becomes like sinning. Don’t miss this opening book to the Steve Dane Series, and get ready for action that will not quit, “Skills to Kill” is available now!!!
• ASIN: B095CTNVC1
• Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing
• Publication Date: 6/23/2021
• File Size: 2419 KB
• Print Length: 228 pages
• Genre: Heist Crime, Hard-Boiled Mysteries, Noir Crime
How did kidnapping turn into the possible destruction of the world? When the clock started ticking!
Working for the CIA, Ex-Marine Steve Dane was on a mission in Central America when the helicopter he was in crashed. He managed to get himself and a friend, Len Lukavina out, but when it exploded, fuel went everywhere and some soaked into their fatigues, catching them on fire. He was able to roll in the dirt and only one side was burned but his friend was not so lucky. Even though he keeps the burns covered at all times wearing long-sleeved shirts, he uses it as a motto: “You’ve survived the worst. Everything else is easy.” But it also tells him that he is vulnerable! After recovery he left the CIA, forming a mercenary team called the 30-30 Battalion. A job in South Africa that went south, set him up with a diamond mine that will take care of him for life. Then his father committed suicide after being accused of treason, but no matter what he did he could not prove that he was not guilty. So, he left that world behind and ran. Sometime later he met the love of his life, Nina Talikova. They were both after some jewels that turned out to be fake. Now, life is bearable working together.
They had arrived in Italy for some much-needed rest. The next morning, they had just finished breakfast, ready to start the day, but while they were waiting at the curb for their jag, they witnessed an eye-catching young woman roughly being forced into a black vehicle. She struck her head on the roof cutting off her scream while being shoved in by the big man, then the door slammed shut. Being a sucker for the underdog, Steve leaped into action, he tackled the man, immediately Steve knew this guy was a professional with brutal power behind each fist as they struck him. Breaking free of Steve, he entered the car, then it raced away. Steve knew he had to help so he jumped into his car and followed in pursuit. This was a professional kidnapping, and they were prepared. They had another vehicle tailing them, which immediately slammed into the back of Steve’s causing severe damage to his jag. then both cars took off leaving him stranded. Later the father of the kidnapped young woman contacted him and hired them to retrieve her.
Join Steve and Nina as the kidnapping turns into a high stake’s gambit, with an ultimate weapon that could end the world for all…
What did I like? When you read books by an author with a bio that reads like a man of action, you could only expect the best from his storylines, Brian certainly did not let me down. Steve Dane is a man of the world, rich, handsome, but looking for his lost world without ever admitting it. Nina is the answer to his search and together they can face anything, both damaged but with an air of invincibility surrounding them.
What will you like? Believable action, intense intrigue and mystery, humor like a gift from heaven, and living life large as can be. Brian breathes life into his storyline with intricate descriptions, details that leap off the pages, and characters that will blow your socks off. When you read, you become so involved in the action that laying the book down becomes like sinning. Don’t miss this opening book to the Steve Dane Series, and get ready for action that will not quit, “Skills to Kill” is available now!!!
• ASIN: B095CTNVC1
• Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing
• Publication Date: 6/23/2021
• File Size: 2419 KB
• Print Length: 228 pages
• Genre: Heist Crime, Hard-Boiled Mysteries, Noir Crime
April 29, 2020
Steve Dane and former Russian FSB (previously known as the KGB) agent Nina Talikova are two dangerous people but otherwise known to many as former spies and now lovers.
They take on assignments for people cannot seem to get the justice they deserve; correct those who have been aggrieved; but there present always seem to launch them in search of adventure.
For example, in book 1, "The Private Vendetta". the two are hired by a known mafia figurehead to find his missing daughter.
Not too surprisingly, this story adds CIA agents, an Irish hitman, terrorists having obtained a small backpack nuclear weapon, and various trips around the world while solving the problems they encounter.
Book #1 is just a taste of the other three books. It's an exciting foursome that you shouldn't miss!
They take on assignments for people cannot seem to get the justice they deserve; correct those who have been aggrieved; but there present always seem to launch them in search of adventure.
For example, in book 1, "The Private Vendetta". the two are hired by a known mafia figurehead to find his missing daughter.
Not too surprisingly, this story adds CIA agents, an Irish hitman, terrorists having obtained a small backpack nuclear weapon, and various trips around the world while solving the problems they encounter.
Book #1 is just a taste of the other three books. It's an exciting foursome that you shouldn't miss!
June 29, 2020
Partners
A Russian and an American partners in every sense. The pursuit of those who hurt others, not ecxlding friends or family ,take this couple all over. They have personal demons but struggle through to do the right thing. I really liked the connectivity of the thrillers and the characters, really good read.
A Russian and an American partners in every sense. The pursuit of those who hurt others, not ecxlding friends or family ,take this couple all over. They have personal demons but struggle through to do the right thing. I really liked the connectivity of the thrillers and the characters, really good read.
May 26, 2020
Skills to Kill
I enjoyed the entire series of stories, but I really would have liked to be able to review each story when I finished that story and not wait till the end of the series. Steve and Nina are interesting characters and the stories were always moving along!👍
I enjoyed the entire series of stories, but I really would have liked to be able to review each story when I finished that story and not wait till the end of the series. Steve and Nina are interesting characters and the stories were always moving along!👍
January 28, 2021
Excellent series!
Enjoyed every book in this series ! Great characters and story lines! Have read other books by this author and enjoyed all of them! Look forward to more !
Enjoyed every book in this series ! Great characters and story lines! Have read other books by this author and enjoyed all of them! Look forward to more !
April 22, 2021
Good fun
Simple an!d entertaining, lacks a bit of proper editing. The characters and plots are fun and entertaining, quite a bit of impossible escape scenes and the typical over the top odds gunfight that they always win in the end....
Predictable, yet fun.
Simple an!d entertaining, lacks a bit of proper editing. The characters and plots are fun and entertaining, quite a bit of impossible escape scenes and the typical over the top odds gunfight that they always win in the end....
Predictable, yet fun.
February 7, 2023
This was an enjoyable read
The story was fast paced and interesting. The two main characters, Steve and Nina were easy to like as they helped friends and tangled with the scum of the Earth.
The story was fast paced and interesting. The two main characters, Steve and Nina were easy to like as they helped friends and tangled with the scum of the Earth.
August 15, 2023
En basic special agent bok, från att först hjälpa en radom person i ett land. Till resor över hela värden mot ett mål som bara dem själva vet(eller typ en bomb,tror ja). Ett par där hon är ryska och han amerikansk.
(blev en stund emellan lyssningarna så kommer inte ihåg allt, men bra ändå).
(blev en stund emellan lyssningarna så kommer inte ihåg allt, men bra ändå).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
Entertainment at its best
Re enjoyed this set of books looking forward to reading more.
And I have nothing else to say so I Will just keep rambling on till the system has enough words to let me submit.
Re enjoyed this set of books looking forward to reading more.
And I have nothing else to say so I Will just keep rambling on till the system has enough words to let me submit.
November 4, 2021
Wonderful series
Just what I enjoy. Lots of action and suspense throughout the series. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.
Just what I enjoy. Lots of action and suspense throughout the series. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.
February 18, 2023
like brian's work, but these characters are rather shallow and predictable.
Read
May 16, 2023DNF@48%
February 5, 2024
Good story, lots of action. Fun heros.
August 4, 2024
Good spy type
Good can't put down series. Well written hard to guess what is next. Can't wait to read what's next for the Dane and Nina.
Good can't put down series. Well written hard to guess what is next. Can't wait to read what's next for the Dane and Nina.
June 23, 2021
Brian Drake continues his excellence in writing Skills to Kill
Heroes
• Steve Dane, former CIA agent and former leader of mercenary unit 30-30 Battalion, now works for himself.
• Nina Talikova, Steve's girlfriend, a former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's internal security and counterintelligence service and formerly known as the KGB.
• Len Lukavina, former CIA agent who now works for himself.
Dane & Talikova follow their own moral code to serve justice where there is none, one bullet at a time.
Anti-Heroes
• Sean McFadden, a former IRA assassin.
• The Duchess, Sean's current boss. She's a widely known killer but no one seems to where she nor does anyone seem to know what she looks like.
• Dominic Russo, a European crime boss.
• Amalio "The Animal" Milani, enemy of Russo who killed Amalio's brother.
Storyline
Russo hires Steve and Nina to find Leila, his kidnapped daughter. Add to that, Len tells Steve that Milani has a backpack nuke that he want to sell to al-Qaeda.
Brian Drake has Steve and Nina traveling through the canals of Venice, to Paris, Moscow, Mexico, New York, and points in between them to solve these issues. You can easily guess that gunshots will be found throughout their adventures.
Heroes
• Steve Dane, former CIA agent and former leader of mercenary unit 30-30 Battalion, now works for himself.
• Nina Talikova, Steve's girlfriend, a former Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's internal security and counterintelligence service and formerly known as the KGB.
• Len Lukavina, former CIA agent who now works for himself.
Dane & Talikova follow their own moral code to serve justice where there is none, one bullet at a time.
Anti-Heroes
• Sean McFadden, a former IRA assassin.
• The Duchess, Sean's current boss. She's a widely known killer but no one seems to where she nor does anyone seem to know what she looks like.
• Dominic Russo, a European crime boss.
• Amalio "The Animal" Milani, enemy of Russo who killed Amalio's brother.
Storyline
Russo hires Steve and Nina to find Leila, his kidnapped daughter. Add to that, Len tells Steve that Milani has a backpack nuke that he want to sell to al-Qaeda.
Brian Drake has Steve and Nina traveling through the canals of Venice, to Paris, Moscow, Mexico, New York, and points in between them to solve these issues. You can easily guess that gunshots will be found throughout their adventures.
June 3, 2015
I have read Brian Drake's "Wolf" series and his "Steletto" series and consider them both top-notch action/thriller fiction. Now that I have (after an inexcusable delay) checked out "The Rogue Gentleman," I can firmly say that Steve Dane (along with his sexy lover, Nina) is his most fully-realized protagonist to date. Unlike Drake's other series, "The Rogue Gentleman" features bits of humor, primarily from the witty, snappy back-and-forth banter between Dane and Nina. That is not to say the action elements hop in the back seat so the humor can drive, because they most certainly do not. Accompanying the chuckles, the bullets fly fast and furious and things blow up real good with the frequency expected from the genre.
Listen, Brian Drake is one talented author. He can do bloody, gritty action fare like Steletto. He can do dark, noirish action like Wolf. And with Steve Dane, he proves that he can do lighter, humor-laced action as well. In other words, if it's a one-dimensional action author you seek, you'll need to look elsewhere, 'cause Drake ain't it.
Listen, Brian Drake is one talented author. He can do bloody, gritty action fare like Steletto. He can do dark, noirish action like Wolf. And with Steve Dane, he proves that he can do lighter, humor-laced action as well. In other words, if it's a one-dimensional action author you seek, you'll need to look elsewhere, 'cause Drake ain't it.
November 4, 2018
I have read Brian Drake's "Wolf" series and his "Stiletto" series and consider them both top-notch action/thriller fiction. Now that I have checked out "Skills to Kill," I can firmly say that Steve Dane (along with his sexy lover, Nina) is his most fully-realized protagonist to date. Unlike Drake's other series, "Skills to Kill" features bits of humor, primarily from the witty, snappy back-and-forth banter between Dane and Nina. That is not to say the action elements hop in the back seat so the humor can drive, because they most certainly do not. Accompanying the chuckles, the bullets fly fast and furious and things blow up real good with the frequency expected from the genre.
Listen, Brian Drake is one talented author. He can do bloody, gritty action fare like Stiletto. He can do dark, noirish action like Wolf. And with Steve Dane, he proves that he can do lighter, humor-laced action as well. In other words, if it's a one-dimensional action author you seek, you'll need to look elsewhere, 'cause Drake ain't it.
Listen, Brian Drake is one talented author. He can do bloody, gritty action fare like Stiletto. He can do dark, noirish action like Wolf. And with Steve Dane, he proves that he can do lighter, humor-laced action as well. In other words, if it's a one-dimensional action author you seek, you'll need to look elsewhere, 'cause Drake ain't it.
October 15, 2015
Great little novel. Steve Dane is the kind of character I love - not attached to any particular country, cause, or agency. Just a freelance agent willing to mix it whenever he can get behind the cause of the person hiring him. He's got the looks, the skills, the courage. He also has the girl (beautiful former Russian spy Nina) and friends all over the world. And all over the world is where this story takes you: Italy, Greece, Mexico, France, Finland, New York City. What a wonderful first story in this series. I hope the rest of the series is just as fun and entertaining!
October 27, 2018
Shoot the accordeon player if you want to have sex. Nina is just your average former FSB agent with a few demands from Steve Dane, her boyfriend and former CIA agent. Others are shoot outs, exploasions and car chases. And Steve provides. A very fast paced action thriller, which is nearly impossible to put down. Our heroes go from Italy to France to Greece to Mexico to New York and end up on an island near the coast of Finland. Brian Drake delivers a page turner as it should be. If you like the genre you don't want to miss. Looking forward to the next one.
July 9, 2021
I Love The Team of Steve and Nina
This book reads so smoothly. The main characters are multidimensional and likeable. And their banter is entertaining as well as comical. They are like some couples who I know. But the story is so riveting that I decided to read rather than sleep or eat when I should have. It was that entertaining for me. One thing the bad guys need to remember. Don't mess with Steve and Nina!
This book reads so smoothly. The main characters are multidimensional and likeable. And their banter is entertaining as well as comical. They are like some couples who I know. But the story is so riveting that I decided to read rather than sleep or eat when I should have. It was that entertaining for me. One thing the bad guys need to remember. Don't mess with Steve and Nina!
November 4, 2019
Entertaining
The plot skips from one assignment to another and they seem to blend together. While there was some explanation of the recording of the President, it was rather confusing.
The plot skips from one assignment to another and they seem to blend together. While there was some explanation of the recording of the President, it was rather confusing.
Currently reading
January 6, 2015Sorry just not my style of book
April 2, 2015
Very entertaining thriller. Looking forward to more in the series.
January 8, 2019
Good story
I enjoyed this book had lots of twist and turns. If you enjoy mysteries and suspense this is the book for you.
I enjoyed this book had lots of twist and turns. If you enjoy mysteries and suspense this is the book for you.
February 1, 2019
Skip it
Started off okay, but midway started to waffle, just lost the feel and started to meander. Not worth your yime, better stuff out there.
Started off okay, but midway started to waffle, just lost the feel and started to meander. Not worth your yime, better stuff out there.
February 26, 2019
A really good book
When you start reading this book it is a book with different stories but it goes in with a a good book at the end can't wait till the next one
When you start reading this book it is a book with different stories but it goes in with a a good book at the end can't wait till the next one
November 2, 2021
Thrilling action story
Just what I like. Full of action and suspense throughout the story. For anyone who loves action as much as I do, this is a must read.
Just what I like. Full of action and suspense throughout the story. For anyone who loves action as much as I do, this is a must read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews