Hollow Point

by Russ Stone

The world is on fire. Only one man can extinguish the flames.

Snakeriver - a shadowy private company that handles missions the U.S. government can’t touch. Former Navy SEAL Travis Delta is Snakeriver's top gun.

When Mossad and the CIA discover that Russia and Iran may be plotting to seize control of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Travis is tasked with stopping them – by whatever means necessary.

The intel is chilling: first, Iran will obliterate Israel with Russian nuclear weapons. Then, while the Middle East burns, Russia's ruthless president will seize Europe and resurrect his empire.

Delta covertly crosses into Iran, extracting critical intelligence with unexpected help from Nickie Chandler—a journalist and former lover.

From the treacherous streets of Tehran to a black site interrogation in Poland, Delta follows the conspiracy all the way to the heart of the Kremlin itself. There he embarks on what seems like a suicide mission – while the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Hollow Point – book 1 in the stunning action series featuring ex-Navy SEAL, Travis Delta. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jason Kasper & David Archer.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

294 pages, ebook

Published December 10, 2025

Reviews

[Chris Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollow Point by Russ Stone
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hollow Point is an engaging introduction to Russ Stone’s Travis Delta series. The story follows retired Navy SEAL–turned–contractor Travis Delta as he takes on high-stakes missions for the covert organization Snakeriver. The book delivers plenty of action, keeping the pacing tight and exciting throughout. A few unexpected twists added to the suspense and kept me invested in the plot. While I found the ending a bit abrupt and wished it had been developed more fully, the characters overall were well crafted and compelling. As an opening to the series, it succeeds in drawing readers into Travis’s world, and I’m looking forward to continuing with the next installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator books for allowing me to read this ARC!

[Cody Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fun twists and turns. Totally unbelievable because of how smooth everything went and how Delta is never caught off guard but it makes it entertaining.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Russ. To my knowledge the paperback version was released many years ago. I had some trouble with parts of the book holding my attention but overall I found it extremely entertaining. I was completely surprised by the events in the last few pages. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by booksprout.

[Bibliophile Foodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller and thought it was a strong start to a new series. Travis Delta, a former Navy SEAL now working for the covert group Snakeriver, is the kind of character who immediately grabs your attention. He’s skilled, confident, and always seems to know how to handle whatever dangerous situation he’s thrown into.

The story moves quickly across different parts of the world, weaving in political tensions between countries. That global backdrop made the plot feel relevant to current events and believable. I liked how each mission led to another discovery, building suspense as the stakes grew higher.

There were plenty of twists that caught me off guard. The mix of espionage, military strategy, and personal connections gave the book a nice balance.

If I had one wish, it would be to learn more about Travis’s backstory, what drives him, what shaped him into the man he is now. But as the first book in the series, it definitely set the stage well and left me curious for what’s next.

[Benny Mullinax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting character and plot. Lot of action and intrigue. Going to follow this series.

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was perfect for me!
Plus it is book 1 in a new series yay 🎉 which means there are more books to come featuring Travis Delta.
This book was full of action, I really could not put it down! The way it was written got me hooked straight off the mystery of the off grid group Snakeriver, the twisty plot and then Travis, my goodness what a character an ex seal now contractor for Snakeriver who goes where government operatives can’t.
If you love good action thriller this is your book!
I cannot wait to read book 2

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good introduction to a new series featuring an organisation called Snakeriver and it's top asset, Travis Delta. It is a terrific action-packed story, full of suspense and globetrotting from the US, to the Middle East and Europe.

The plot itself was quite relevant featuring Russia, Iran and Israel and was quite plausible which made it even more of a page-turner for me. It wasn't just your normal political action thriller though. A shocking surprise reveal towards the end had me reeling. I'm already looking forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for Hollow Point by Russ Stone

This was a very exciting read with a brilliantly intriguing plot where Russia was in league with Iran and they may be plotting to seize control of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The USA can’t directly get involved but there is a rumour of a group called Snakeriver that could be used in a situation like this and the man for the job is Travis Delta who is a former Navy Seal. He has been used on tricky missions before and knows what is expected of him. He is very good at collecting critical intelligence and using it where necessary to help him in any situation. This was an excellently written book with a lot of detail and places included plus it had been well thought out. The characters were excellent and played their parts well. There was a lot of action and planning in this book. It took a few chapters but I got drawn into the story so much I couldn’t put the book down, I just had to continue reading it. Travis Delta was such an intriguing character and pulled out all the stops to do his job right. Each chapter told you where you were and the date, I liked this as each chapter was somewhere different. I enjoy reading books like this. The descriptive writing was superb and everything was explained in detail. The synopsis drew me to read this action thriller which is book one of a new series and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed. The author has been interested in counterintelligence for a long time so he created the character, Travis Delta, and a series of books about him. I haven’t read this author before but I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Blurb :

The world is on fire. Only one man can extinguish the flames.

Snakeriver - a shadowy private company that handles missions the U.S. government can’t touch. Former Navy SEAL Travis Delta is Snakeriver's top gun.

When the CIA discover that Russia and Iran may be plotting to seize control of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Travis is tasked with stopping them – by whatever means necessary.

The intel is chilling: first, Iran will obliterate Israel with Russian nuclear weapons. Then, while the Middle East burns, Russia's ruthless president will seize Europe and resurrect his empire.

Delta covertly crosses into Iran, extracting critical intelligence with unexpected help from Nickie Chandler—a journalist and former lover.

From the treacherous streets of Tehran to a black site interrogation in Poland, Delta follows the conspiracy all the way to the heart of the Kremlin itself. There he embarks on what seems like a suicide mission – while the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Hollow Point – book 1 in the stunning action series featuring ex-Navy SEAL, Travis Delta. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jason Kasper & David Archer.

Previously published by the author as Hollow Point Diplomacy.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the opportunity to preview Hollow Point, the first volume in the Travis Delta Series. It didn't take long to understand Delta is a no-nonsense operator, determined to eliminate any and all bad guys through his form of justice - kill first, with no questions later.

A compelling plot drives the book throughout, with some parallels to what could be real-life worst case scenarios between major world players trying to build up their 21st century empires by any means possible. With his multi-skilled toolset, Delta turns out to be the perfect player to embed into the most dangerous scenarios imaginable.

While this was a quick and easy to follow read, with an unexpected twist in the end, the fact that Delta has so much knowledge about seemingly everything and how to confidently proceed with little forethought makes everything that happens seem way too easy. There's no tension built up through any soul searching or weighing out scenarios - he just seems to know all the answers from the get go. Also, I know it's only book #1, but I'd like to know more about what makes his character so driven - more backstory would help in that regard,

With that said, this still was an enjoyable read, and with book #2 hot on the heels of this release, I'll look forward to preview that one as well.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "Booksprout" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Travis on a mission in Argentina. It is then followed by the Mossad director meeting with Israel's prime minister. Their discussion is about what to do with Iran's leader, Ebrahimi. Meisel, the Mossad leader and Chazan the Prime Minister, discuss how to get rid of Ebrahimi. Meisel states that he was going to go to the U.S. to see Phillips, the CIA director to find a way to handle it. Meanwhile Travis is at his home in Alaska after getting back from Argentina. Later he receives a call from Holloway, his boss at Snakeriver. Travis arrives in D.C. and eventually meets up with the NSA director as well as the CIA director. They have heard that there is something in the works that both Iran and Russia will be involved with. Travis is given a new mission to find out information about what the meeting was all about.

Follow Travis on his journeys as what one item that is learned leads to another, Discover what Russia was planning and how Iran is involved. In D.C. he runs into Nickie Chandler, an old girlfriend from college who is now the White House correspondent for ABC. Discover what interactions the two had as the story progressed. The ending will sum up everything nicely.

This is definitely worth the read, don't miss out!

[VALE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollow Point by Russ Stone is a fast paced thriller that grabbed my attention from the first few pages. If you enjoy high stakes military action and global conspiracies, this book delivers exactly that.
The story follows former Navy SEAL Travis Delta, who works for a secretive private company handling missions the government can’t officially touch. What I liked most is that the action never slows down. From tense operations in Tehran to dangerous intelligence missions across Europe, the plot keeps escalating and constantly raises the stakes.
Travis Delta is a strong and believable protagonist skilled, determined, and willing to risk everything to stop a catastrophic global plan. The storyline involving Russia, Iran, and the threat of nuclear conflict feels chillingly realistic, which makes the tension even stronger.
Overall, this was an exciting and gripping read. Fans of authors like Lee Child will likely enjoy it. I’m definitely interested in seeing where the Travis Delta series goes next

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent! I always love a good action read, especially military action and a psychological aspect to it, almost as if you are in the throes of it with them.
This book has and excellent main character, who very much has the highly trained and effective SEAL feel to him. He is definitely willing to follow the command of whatever it takes and that alone takes us down a rabbit hole and through so much juicy action that I could not put this book down.
The details are done very well. There is enough to make it realistic, but not too much where you effected overly feel bogged down and need a break.
I liked the way it flowed nicely and then we got to see reactions to things or fallout, then we watched him jump to save everyone but throwing himself into the kremlin viper pit. It was so good!

[Samuel murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast moving Thriller.

Fast moving thriller that has Travis Delta carrying out undercover operations for the American government removing tyrants, terrorists etc. After one such operation and the uncovering that Iranian and Russian Presidents and heads of government were intending to destroy Israel completely and recover the territory of the former Russian territories Travis meets his college sweetheart and rekindles romantic feelings. When she is kidnapped Travis as part of his latest mission rescues her in Iran and she assists him in the escape from the country. On completion of his mission assisted by Israel’s Mossad and averting a third world war he returns to America, meets his sweetheart only to discover she was a Russian spy although his planned killing did not go as planned.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckle up, because Hollow Point is basically a shot of pure adrenaline delivered straight to the heart! If you’re a fan of those high-octane, the world is about to explode and only one guy with a very specific set of skills can stop it thrillers, this was written specifically for you. I was flying through the pages as Travis Delta who is essentially a human wrecking ball with a Navy SEAL pedigree dodged nuclear conspiracies and Russian shadow-plots. The tension between him and his ex-flame, Nickie, added just the right amount of spice to the saving the world chaos, and that suicide mission into the Kremlin? Absolutely bonkers in the best way possible. It felt like watching a summer blockbuster with an unlimited pyrotechnics budget, and I loved every second of the globe-trotting mayhem.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollow Point by Russ Stone is the first book in the A Travis Delta thriller series and WoW what an excellent start to a new series this was. I loved it! It was a fast paced book which was full of action and I loved the main character Travis. He was is an ex-SEAL and now working for an off the books private company they take all jobs from the U.S. government can't do. It was full of twists and turns throughout and I never got bored with it, I could not turn the pages quick enough to find out what happens next and especially if Travis solves the cases he has been a signed to! I loved the start of this series and was lucky enough to go straight into the next book within A Travis Delta series!

Big Thank you to NetGalley and especially Inkubator Books for my ARC's.

[Satyam Imel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just started reading for pleasure after many years. This was the first book I picked up and I enjoyed it! Each short chapter held excitement, adventure, action, and cooperation between agencies and countries intelligence communities and spy networks. The only gripe I have is with the main character. He is defiantly the hero here, with a calm demeanor and makes his own decisions in the field. There were two instances where he decided to do something or include some into an operation that seemed silly in my opinion. Although it was a good book overall, I wish the main character was a bit more flawed, and a bit more believable or realistic in some of his actions/deciions.

[Lauren Meuer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very suspenseful, page turning, action packed thriller where national security is on the line. This book combines so many different world political aspects, and fears of what could happen, but the entire book you go through trying to take this down. I loved this book from beginning to end and the plot but also the setting development and just how easy it was to get invest in the world. I highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great start to what is shaping up to be an action packed series with a brilliantly written main character. The plot felt plausible and the pacing was good throughout.
The only thing that knocked half a star for me was it took me awhile to get my head around the characters who everyone was aware they were from. (probably me problem as I have so much going on this time of year.)
Looking forward to the next book in the series, would love to learn a little bit more about Travis’s past and what has driven him to lead the life he does. (3.5 stars)

[Alan Melnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and authentic

This was easily one of the best thrillers I have read in quite a while. It was so gripping to read, and had such an authentic feeling to it, with everything being written in such a detailed and realistic way.

The plot and characters were terrific, and there was plenty of action.

This was the first book I have ever read by this author. He clearly knows his subject matter very well, and knows how to write a realistic and exciting thriller. I will certainly be looking for more of his books.

[Michelle Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis Delta is a former Navy SEAL and it the go to man at Snakeriver, a company working in the shadows the does the things that the US government. Travis begins his most dangerous mission ever; he must try to stop Russia and Iran from taking over Eastern Europe. Intel reveals Iran will destroy Israel with a nuclear weapon while Russia will seize Europe. Can Travis stop this before the world as we know it doesn't exist anymore?

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis Delta is a former navy seal with many skills he can apply in his secret missions working for a private company called snakeriver. I really liked all the intriguing twists in the plot that had me holding my breath while turning the next page and waiting for the other shoe to drop it's a great action thriller that leads you into a new series.

[Robert Foland · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hollow Point" is a fast-paced action thriller. Russ Stone delivers an engaging storyline for the lead character, Travis Delta, that hooks you from the very first page to the last. Intense, gripping, and dark.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Clifford Bentsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too bad it’s fiction.

As usual the author manages to create a fictional story which matches many of the situations we’re experiencing today. The attention to detail and vivid descriptions always add to the enjoyment of the authors work. This is only the beginning of this series so it’s time to go on to the next adventure.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

a power and control obsessed dude does his best yo set the world on fire yo watch it burn, and to control what remains.

intense drama and action with the folks who do their best to save the world by whatever means necessary.

[philip affleck · Rating 3 out of 5]

good characters and action with a decent storyline. not plausible

Good book but what the character does and how he does it is so oversimplified as to be unreasonable even for a fictional tale.