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Sam Archer #9

Jump Seat

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After a two year break, Tom Barber returns with the explosive ninth instalment of the thrilling Sam Archer series.

A commercial plane carrying almost two hundred people crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. Eyewitnesses on a yacht say the flight, bound for the United States from Portugal, was on fire as it fell from the sky. The search is on to find the wreckage.

Seventy two hours later, another plane goes missing, American Airlines 44, bound for New York from Paris, France; with terrorism now suspected, the NYPD’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau are asked for their assistance. The scale of the case and the distances involved are factors Sergeant Matt Shepherd’s team have never encountered before.

And it soon becomes clear the five detectives will have to be deployed thousands of miles apart if they’re going to stand a chance of finding out who’s responsible for the attacks.

Alice Vargas and Lisa Marquez, sent to find an air marshal whose record suggests he’s up to more than just flying mission flights. Harry Ledger, dispatched to the American Airlines wreckage site in the Atlantic to see if there are any clues as to how it was brought down.

And Sam Archer. Despite an unexpected complication that could affect his capability, Archer is sent somewhere he has never had to investigate a crime before.

35,000 feet up in the sky.

As the usually close-knit team find themselves spread out around the world, from Mexico to London, Las Vegas to Paris, the investigation pushes them all to their limit as they face an enemy more intelligent, determined and merciless than any they have faced before.

Hundreds of lives have been lost and thousands more are on the line.

One mistake and gravity will do the rest.

772 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2017

329 people are currently reading
144 people want to read

About the author

Tom Barber

43 books154 followers
Born in Sydney, Australia and raised in England and Brunei, Tom Barber has always had a passion for writing and story-telling. It took him to Nottingham University, England, where he graduated in 2009 with a 2:1 BA Hons in English Studies. Post-graduation, Tom moved to New York City and completed the 2 Year Meisner Acting training programme at The William Esper Studio, furthering his love of acting and screen-writing.

Upon his return to the UK in late 2011, Tom set to work on his debut novel, Nine Lives, which has since become a five-star rated Amazon UK Kindle hit. The following books in the series have been equally successful, garnering five-star reviews in the US, UK, France, Australia and Canada. The Sam Archer series has had over a million books downloaded worldwide and each title is currently being adapted into audiobook format.

Tom spends most of his time back and forth between the US and the UK. He can be contacted at http://www.tom-barber.co.uk/

For info on all upcoming releases: http://tom-barber.us6.list-manage1.co...

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5 stars
457 (69%)
4 stars
149 (22%)
3 stars
38 (5%)
2 stars
7 (1%)
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5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
27 reviews
October 1, 2017
Avenging Archer comes through again.

Whew, can I give this book 10 stars? We anxiously awaited this book for a long while, and it was worth the wait. Tom Barber just gets better with his writing. His ability to develop the characters is amazing and I must admit in some cases frightening. Really makes me appreciate the people who put their lives on the line to protect us. Fantastic read!
132 reviews
June 11, 2018
I loved the entire series!!

I started reading the first book in the Sam Archer series because I was looking for a new type of character. I was hooked from the very beginning. All of the books have been amazing!!! They are well written with different plots and lots of surprises along the way. I really enjoyed reading each book and will definitely continue reading them if the author decides to continue the series.
Profile Image for Cheryl A. Swift.
97 reviews
March 28, 2018
I am hooked on this author

If you like Vince Flynn and Tom Clancy, you will enjoy these books as well. They are well thought out, fast moving and will keep you guessing for awhile. I can’t wait to read the next one!
4 reviews
August 19, 2018
Jump Seat (Sam Archer #9) by Tom Barber

Tom Barber is an excellent storyteller and as his longest and most complex novel to date bringing together several characters and events from the past, this book *should* have been a solid 4.5 - 5 rating. But, the devil is in the details, and there were just entirely too many mistakes and lack of research that should not be occurring this far into the Sam Archer series. I had to leave a three star review for a story that deserved better.

It's clear from the exacting, detailed, sometimes overly-indulgent explanations of processes, weaponry, and backstory that Barber comes from the Tom Clancy school of action thriller writing -- that's a great thing. However, if you are going to attempt that level of explication and delivery, you've got to know your stuff and get it right. This is where Tom Barber, and the entire Archer series, has repeatedly failed. I'm not sure where the disconnect is between his research and his writing, but an author simply cannot reject reality and substitute their own (thank you, Mythbusters). It's sad, because Barber writes a compelling story with likeable (or unlikeable, as needed) characters. He's displayed the fact that he KNOWS some of this stuff at different times, yet the books apparently do not go through fact-checking or basic editing.

Despite all the random and repeated cycling of action in firearms (which would eject a perfectly good and vitally needed round from the chamber) when an individual or team would already be carrying hot weapons and a simple press-check would do, or referring to ammunition magazines as "clips", or the pulling of hand brakes in vehicles that do not actually have hand-operated parking brakes, or completely misidentifying nomenclature vs. caliber of weaponry, or for some reason thinking that a life-long "New Yawk" cop would in any way regularly speak in European idioms, or not understanding how airlines, air routes, and air traffic control work, the final straw for me with Jump Seat, in particular, was having the denouement take place along both aisles of a Boeing 757. The 757 is a single-aisle jet -- five minutes on Google images would have solved that bit of research for the author. Just. A little. Research. All I'm asking, Mr. Barber.

Now, every author is allowed a little leeway for artistic license and the occasional misstep in detail here and there. However, Tom Barber's books are a death by a thousand cuts, and this reader has finally succumbed. I love the stories, I really do; I've obviously stuck around to read them all. Though when the supporting details of an emotional, intense scene repeatedly remove the reader from the moment due to errors that should not have made it past a first-read (not to mention the numerous "WTF?" moments of grammatical editing -- or non-editing -- on the Kindle format), I find myself no longer wanting or willing to pay money to read these books.

Sorry, Tom. Your stories deserve much better of a rating and review, but your continuous lack of research fails them.
24 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2023
This was my first Sam Archer book. It may be just me, but I don’t understand how this book rates a 4.62 on Goodreads. The book was off to a fast pace with descriptions of scenes related to planes falling out of the sky but was soon followed by a complex set up of widespread domestic and international investigations. More and more characters were introduced from what seemed like an endless stream of U.S. and foreign federal and police agencies. That’s where things began to go downhill for me as there were too many people to keep track of and all the interconnected relationships both past and present.

Way too much focus on immigration issues in the U.S. and France. When I reached 55% into the book, I lost interest and no longer cared about Sam Archer, constant references to his memory loss and the reason for it. I didn’t care to continue with the story just to discover what happened to other characters close to Sam. I really wanted to find out how the planes were being brought down, but that wasn’t enough of a draw to keep my attention for several hundred more pages.

Perhaps other books in the series will do a better job of retaining my attention, but this one missed the mark for me.
1,475 reviews19 followers
April 20, 2018
While Sam is taking Air Marshall training he suffers a bout of amnesia. While he can remember everything that happened during his training he can't remember anything prior to that. Meanwhile he is asked to take on a task that most people would not even come close to. Sam Archer must find out how a new, savage version, of crystal meth is being brought into the country and why some planes are being targeted by terrorists. The two things seem to be connected somehow.

When it is discovered that several Air Marshalls are helping to get the new meth into the country it seems they are being targeted by the terrorist or terrorists too by having the planes they are on blown up in mid-air but no one can discover how they are getting the explosives on board the planes.

I would give this story 10 stars if I could. It keeps you on edge the whole time and there are numerous twists and turns that will blow you away. Sam Archer is a no holds barred hero, even when he is not 100%!

*I forgot to mention that there were a lot of typos in this version so reader beware! Seems no one cares about making the books look as good as they read now.*
Profile Image for DarcLibrarian .
331 reviews2 followers
March 7, 2020
It's raining planes!

An investigation is launched when planes start crashing and there seems to be no reason why. At the same time during Air Marshal training something happens as an after effect to being drowned and dying. At the worse possible moment Sam loses his long time memory. Now when trying to prevent more crashes, is not the time to be off your game. Fortunately a Sam Archer not firing on all cylinders is still better then most men. The team are attacked after being split up and sent around the globe. On his own Sam may need more then Nine Lives to save the day and stop the slaughter. Featuring action from around the globe, Arch reuniting with the ARU, drug cartels and terrorist activity this book was a rollercoaster of a ride from the very beginning. Another brilliant book by Tom Barber, keep it up!
Profile Image for Alan Marston.
184 reviews6 followers
March 20, 2020
Planes falling out of the sky with tremendous loss of life, a new drug causing people to display great strength, but also great rage, and a terrorist with an incredibly strong grudge. All this adds up to an extremely difficult situation for Sam Archer and all his colleagues whether in the USA or England, not knowing where the next strike might be.
At fist I thought that this was going a little over the top, but as the tension, and the explanations, developed, it became a very taut story with many last minute twists, whether at sea, at an airport, or in the air. Tunnels form an integral part of the story, some in USA and Mexico, others in France.
It became a book that I wanted to finish and could not put down. The plot behind it all is a very complex one, but one that could just possibly take place.
Profile Image for Don.
1,036 reviews5 followers
May 30, 2020
What is the hook. Barber writes well but I am not captivated or feel anything to compel me to keep going? Some planes have gone down, Am I supposed to want to find the perpetrators so bad? It takes reading into 30% before you start to see some kind of a plot develop, are you kidding Barber? I think this will be the last Tom Barber book I read, he just interrupts a scene he created to take you to another scene. As you can tell I detest such BS! This book is just not engaging for me.The disservice he does to police is unbelievable, they might as well have stayed home. The incident where two detectives go to the border to interdict the Air Marshal, and they are there before them. Then they don’t even make contact? Barber you are an a—hole. I can’t take it anymore, all you Barber fans keep him happy, he is not for me! 2
Profile Image for Douglas Misquita.
Author 18 books53 followers
October 3, 2019
Sam Archer thrillers are becoming bankable, like the books I await from James Rollins, Andy McDermott and Scott Mariani. Jump Seat is a move away from the other Sam Archer books I've read because the Counter Terrorism unit is split, each going onto seemingly different trails, until it all comes together at the end.
An ingenious terror plot, and this time Archer isn't 100% until he flashes back into action and saves a passenger liner!

Good read, and am definitely reading more!
9 reviews
December 6, 2020
Superb thriller

Just read this book for the third time.I thought that whilst waiting for Tom Barbers latest book to be available I would would re-read his entire series again. If you like non stop action and a book that keeps you thinking about the plot and how it's possible then read this! You don't have to start with the first in the series but I would whole heartily recommend it!A quality series from a quality author! Don't wait start reading!
795 reviews5 followers
October 11, 2018
Really liked it

This book was action-packed from the very beginning to the very end. The only reason that I gave it four stars instead of five stars was the cussing and saying Jesus with almost every breath.
The book didn’t need it as it was action packed.
His other books did not have that i it.
160 reviews
February 6, 2019
Best of the series

I love Sam archer. Read every book and this is a true winner. Best book I’ve read in years. Big story told full length. No trying for a 315 page read. This was a saga ! Wow. Just a wonderful well written story. Could, as always, use some editing for spelling and grammar but with this author I’m used to it. Keep going and I’ll keep reading
Profile Image for Michael.
376 reviews6 followers
May 23, 2020
Edge of the Seat Tbriller

A continuation of the excellent thriller series about Sam Archer. Lots of twists and turns with a complex plot that was a bit confusing at times, but it came together a the end. Particularly liked through brought by Diesel at the end. Read it in one long sitting.
1,538 reviews5 followers
June 27, 2020
Stellar

Gut wrenching, smart and intense. Archer loses his memory during altitude training for air marshal service. He can still get the job done though. He follows the clues to uncover a plot to blow more air planes out of the sky( 3 already, with promises of many more). Great , easy read.
911 reviews3 followers
April 24, 2024
Jump Seat

Tom Barber’s imagination seems to be endless. Managing to write totally different scenarios for each book. Each one totally believable.
Sam Archer is once again in the thick of it trying to solve how terrorists are getting explosives onto planes and blowing them up.
Read this book. You won’t be disappointed.
2,960 reviews
February 15, 2020
This book, like all Tom Barber books I've read is a 5-star book for me. The only negative thing about it was there were so many characters and so many different things happening at the same time, it became a little hard to follow. It was well worth the time spent reading it.
3 reviews
May 15, 2020
Just finished this book and it was so good. Kept me on the edge of my chair!


Tom Barber did it again with all the details making everything so real you feel like you are right there with all the characters. Thanks, Tom !!!!
97 reviews
June 26, 2020
Extra passenger?

Another intense thriller by Tom Barber. Archer sure does get into some perilous situations and this one is heart stopper. I do enjoy Barber's style . Excellent read.
7 reviews
November 2, 2020
Jump Seat(Sam Archer Book 9)

If you like a great detective story this series for you. Sam Archer is up to his neck in drug traffickers, terrorist and bad characters. Tom Barber's story hooks you and you just can't put it down
Profile Image for Jim.
1,108 reviews19 followers
November 5, 2020
Way way too long. According to Goodreads was 623 pages Kindle. Was like reading three books at the very same time. Great story. Outstanding characters as usual. A must read in a must read series. Check it out.
Profile Image for Jim A.
1,267 reviews82 followers
December 17, 2020
Not going to finish this one. I've read other Sam Archer thrillers but this one just didn't "click" with me. And, as it's over 600 pages, I'm pretty sure there is going to be a lot of useless dialogue.
244 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2021
Jump Off

Story concept is great; execution not so much. Text rambles and has a lot of sentences that are too long or too complicated in structure. Needs severe edit to shorten and to correct errors of grammar.
40 reviews
March 13, 2021
Scum fiction

Interesting initial story line, then became convoluted with multiple plots, drugs, crazy characters, multiple killings, gore, senseless crap as it disintegrated into a worthless story which was not worth reading. A bomb.
5 reviews
June 27, 2021
Wonderful read! Thoroughly enjoyed every page.

Written so well- kept me on the edge. I was able to follow change of characters and sub stories and followed along with the build up til the end. Very satisfying read! Tho
Profile Image for Donna Dolf.
11 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2021
The best so far

I've enjoyed reading the Sam Archer series. I found it hard to put down when the action kept me "on the edge of my seat." I rooted for all the detectives and enjoyed SRU joining with the NYPD to stop the bombings. Great job!
911 reviews15 followers
October 19, 2021
This is one of the best series I have ever read. Start a book and it is so hard to put it down. So action packed. So amazingly good. Each book is a nail bitter. I would highly recommend this book and this whole series.
Profile Image for Rosalyn.
445 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2017
Fast paced Sam Archer at his best.
Always a good read that keeps you engrosed
Profile Image for jean buck.
516 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2020
Terrorists on the lose

Excellent book. A real page Turner. Story was constantly evolving. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a good mystery.
21 reviews2 followers
May 26, 2020
Was really good. So many different plots. I thought he might forget about Diesel but he didn't ! A new fave author for me. Now to start from the beginning ! 💙💙💙
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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