Fade

This is an excellent novel with perhaps the most fascinating main character I have ever encountered over many thrillers. This book is really hard to put down. It is exceptionally well written with a mesmerizing plot. The main character, who goes by the nickname "Fade", is the quintessential anti-hero, marvelously well-drawn by Mills. I promise you will enjoy this read.

I read the book to get a feel for Kyle Mill's writing style since he going to be taking over Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp character. The story was good. The characters were well developed and interesting. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The only negative I can think of is Kyle's lack of commas in some instances. There were a few times when I had to read a paragraph more than once to understand what he was trying to say. A comma here and there would have helped. After I finished the book I decided Kyle is a good choice for continuing the Mitch Rapp stories.

After a brilliant debut novel, Kyle Mlls wrote three or four good but not great books. Not so for his last two. These are page turners deluxe. Three weeks ago I read and reviewed his tongue and cheek novel about big tobacco, called Smoke Screen and was extremely impressed. Now I've just finished his latest book, "Fade" and I am again impressed.The title "Fade" is the name of the protagonist - Salem al Fayad, Fade for short - an ex CIA killing machine. Fade is a born and raised in the US, Christian Arab, who after being operational in the Middle East in the late nineties, found himself seriously wounded - a bullet near the spine - which threatened to paralyze him. There was an experimental operation which could remove the bullet and the danger but his friend and handler Matt Egan was unable to get anyone to pay for it.Fast forward to present day; Matt is now working for Homeland Security and he and his boss, Hillel Strand have been tasked with setting up an overseas ongoing Middle Eastern operation and while reviewing the files of possible candidates, Matt's boss, to Matt's chagrin zeros in on Salem al Fayad, deciding he would be the perfect recruit. Matt tries to dissuade Strand but he is unyielding and insists on a visit to meet his new would be recruit.Fade (Salem al Fayad) is bitter about his previous shoddy treatment by his country. When the government wouldn't pay for his operation, he went to work for a Columbian drug lord, in Columbia, helping him eliminate some of his competition, in order to raise enough money for the operation but alas, when he finally amassed the needed amount, it was too late as scar tissue, congregating around the bullet made the operation impossible. So when his old friend Matt and the imperious Hillel Strand showed up trying to enlist his services, they were sent packing in no uncertain terms.Hillel Strand was not used to not getting his way, so he arranged for Fade to be arrested on some phony murder charge, wherein he would clear Fade, thereby making him indebted but as if in response to Murphy's Law, the worst case scenario ensues, putting Fade on the run and Strand hiding out from Fade, who now has promised to kill him. (This is the one weakness I found in the story - The sheriff sending out a SWAT team in the middle of the night to arrest a man on an anonymous phone tip)Even though "Fade" is only 311 pages long, Kyle Mills manages to give the reader a good feel for his characters. Both Egan and Fade are likable as is Karen Manning, who enters the story as the head of a SWAT team sent to arrest Fade. The villain, of course, is the self important Hillel Strand, with runner-up honors to Manning's boss, Sheriff Pickering. Egan is put in the middle of the battle between Fade and Strand and you don't know which way he will jump.As with Mill's previous six books the narrative is strong, smooth and fluid, without being wordy. As mentioned the book is only 311 pages and that is because he doesn't drag the reader into loquacious dialogue or go off in unnecessary directions. Instead he seems to reel the reader in by increasing the suspense on a chapter by chapter basis, in which the reader finds it difficult to take a break.I'm further impressed that Mills seems to have an unending array of divergent plots. This is his seventh book and while some best selling writers seem to rehash different versions of the same plot, like Harlan Coben, Mills has not repeated any characters, nor has any of his wildly diverse plots have any similarities. So far, when you pick up a book by Mills, you are reading a fresh, new and well written story. Expect Kyle Mills to make the NY Times bestseller list in the future and eventually become a mainstay.

Mills has raised the bar for thrillers. A fast moving two pronged plot that keeps the reader wondering how it will end. And end it does with an unexpected twist. A real page turner!!

Salam al Fayed has worked for Homeland Security but wants ot be left alone now. His old boss, Strand does not see it that way. Strand contacts the police that Fade has killed two brothers who do not exist so they will pick him up and then when he has time to think about it Strand will rescue Fade. Things don't go the way Strand has planned. One lie leads to another and things become very complicated. Karen who was the head of the swat team gets involved. His friend Egan is not sure if they will kill each other or what will happen. Lots of soul searching.

I read this book after I heard that kyle mills would be taking over writing the role of Mitch Rapp, following the unfortunate and untimely demise of vince flynn, author of the Rapp novels. Mills does not disappoint in this excellent read, this coming from a die hard Rapp fan (vince flynn is hard to match). I am very much looking forward to seeing what Mills can do in furthering the Rapp series (especially after reading Fade) and plan to read more of his own works in the interim. Good luck kyle mills, you've got some tough shoes to fill, but after reading Fade I am really excited for the next Rapp novel "The Last Man"

This book has made me Sick! It shows you just how evil people with power in government can destroy a nation's trust in the name of Freedom. I cannot believe that Kyle Mills, after being entrusted with writing under Vince Flynn's name, could create this. I shall never read another book by Kyle Mills.

Having read some of the work he did on the vince flynn series, I can see where he would be in line to replace him.

What an absolutely brilliant book!I found Kyle Mills after reading the Mitch Rapp novel he wrote following Vince Flynn's sad passing and just loved his character Fade.I won't give anything away as I knew nothing about this book before buying it and loved every minute of it. I could not put this book down, full of action, humour with twists and turns that keep you turning the pages...so much so I finished it within 2 nights so treat yourself and settle in for a fantastic read. I can't recommend this book enough.

well put together, you feel for the main character which glues to a none stop roller coaster of emotions waiting for a way out

I liked this book, first time I've read Kyle Mills as I understand he is going to take over the Mitch Rapp series. I think Kyle will carr. y on the Rapp series well, I liked the occasional humour. Recommend this book, a good read!