Appetite for Risk

An ex-marine himself, Jack Leavers has written a story that is based on his very own experiences of Iraq at the time, when the coalition seized power and ousted Saddam. John pierce, ex-marine, in financial trouble decides to try his luck, and try to cash in on postwar Baghdad. I almost instantly found myself being taken into Iraq, this book is such an immersive experience. The setting of the scenes, feel so authentic, and as Jack himself has said to me over Twitter conversations, the reasons he was able to do this so well is because he was there! It doesn’t feel like fiction, written in the first person, it reads exactly as if Jack Leavers is telling us his own story. There is quite a lot of military talk aswell. The first, maybe half of the book is a slow burner as the story is set and as John makes his contacts in Iraq. But the tension and action are really ratched up in the 2nd half of this barnstorming military thriller. Overall this for me is an excellent story of Iraq, and the aftermath of the coalition, it’s certainly nothing like I’ve read before. Highly recommended.

I was immediately catapulted into an adrenaline-fuelled world of post-war Iraq and loved it… The action, when it comes, is never gratuitous and Leavers ensures that it happens unexpectedly… much like the real world and life. I would highly recommend Appetite for Risk.

It is so action-packed, it was like a high action blockbuster movie that only I could view! Add the dangerous atmosphere of the country mixed with a seriously explosive situation and you have one hell of a thrilling mission!

The plot is full of action and has nail-biting moments throughout the novel. The main character John is a fantastic character, very relatable and his character development was second to none and you really understood his choices when he makes them within the book. The author’s experience from being in Iraq shines through and I am truly privileged to have read his experiences through the pages of a fictitious yet truly believable novel.

Jack has really stopped at nothing to give us one hell of a read and drawing on his own experience‘s helps to give it that edge, and makes his descriptions really come to life. One you won’t want to miss! A thrilling read that will take you on an adventure and keep you on your toes.