Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series) by Stephen Leather (Epub)

Description

An action-packed short story featuring Dan “Spider” Shepherd during his days as an SAS trooper in Afghanistan. It’s 2002 and Shepherd puts his life on the line to help a 12-year-old boy get revenge on a murderous Taliban enforcer.

Dead Drop is about 14,000 words, about thirty pages, perfect if you have half an hour to spare.

Stephen Leather is one of the UK’s most successful thriller writers. He was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London’s Burning, The Knock and the BBC’s Murder in Mind series. Two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were made into movies. You can find out more from his website, www.stephenleather.com.

User’s Reviews

There is no Editorial Review for this book

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ If you want action, often disguise as planning and execution of an undercover police officer who really should be licensed as a deadly weapon, and whose undercover work is in a jail with very dangerous prisoners and one where the prisoners really run the internal operations of the jail, then this exciting and hard to shut book is for you. Written by a very experienced and highly competent author, Stephen Leather you can always be assured that right will prevail although in many cases it seems almost a complete in impossibility.The tension starts early and is relentlessly maintained right thru to the extraordinary conclusion. Go ahead, invest in suspense, and enjoy this excellent book.

⭐ This story gives a good idea of operations in Afghanistan, not pretty at all. Enlightening & full of action.

⭐ The story was fast paced and enjoyable. Can’t wait to continue the series from the short book. Similar to Chris Ryan and Andy McNab

⭐ It’s a fine background, quick read, but for a $ I’m satisfied. It stays in the general style of the other books.

⭐ Stephen Leather never disappoints. Whether it’s a full length novel like my all time favorite THE CHINAMAN or the short stories featuring “Spider”Shepherd in Afghanistan. Which is what we have in Dead. Drop,a war story with fast-paced well developed plot with plenty of action and friendly banter back and forth between Spider and his battle tested friends in the Special. AIR. Services. In this tale Spider befriends a young Afghan lad seeking out a living panhandling soldiers offering just about anything that they could want including information about the dreaded Taliban. Spider realized that that the boy was putting himself in great danger to the many Taliban spies on the base so he arranged a “DeadDrop” where they could leave messages for each other without being seen together. Soon the boy learns of a meeting of Top Taliban leaders in a mountain village near his birthplace. He passes the information on to Spider who convinces his unit command that the boys Intel is worthy of an attack especially since the boys father,an interpreter for the SAS had recently been tortured and killed by the same Taliban group who would surely be be at the mountain village meeting. The authors description of Afghanistan,the Taliban terrorist,the SAS troopers,the weaponry and the tactics were spot on as was the dialogue between the characters. An engaging read. I highly recommend this story and the others in the Spider Shepherd short story series, all are __5. Stars.Julio

⭐ A brilliant action packed short story of one of ‘Spider’s’ adventures in the SAS in Afghanistan. Will please the Spider fans and give them a little fix before the release of True Colours in July. I thoroughly recommend this book.

⭐ Another tale from Shepherd’s time in the SAS prior to joining the police force (his occupation for the full-length novels). As with the other short stories, it references the characters we know from the novels, but introduces to new ones, too, and to new experiences. It works well as a standalone work though I read them mostly in the order of the character’s chronology.As with Leather’s other books and short stories, I was again struck by his powerful depiction of the environment, terrain, and the devastation of war. I also enjoy the way the characters are developed and interact with one another.This particular tale takes its title from the method of communication of the same name used by covert operatives and employed here between spider and his associate.The events take place in July 2002 in Afghanistan as Jock McIntyre, Dan Shepherd, Geordie Mitchell, plus Lex Harper, a Para acting as Shepherd’s spotter, observe a checkpoint in Afghanistan. This opening scene sets the mood and background for the rest of the story.The main plot revolves around a local boy Spider has befriended at the army base. Major Allan Gannon makes an appearance as Spider’s CO (in the novels he’s Sheperd’s former CO). The tale ends with Spencer dispensing some fatherly advice to the lad.As usual, it’s an action story in military setting. Shepherd talks about the fact he’s s father, and this is used in the plot, but other than that no reference to family life back home.As a matter of interest, the end of 2002 is when Spider leaves the SAS for an undercover police unit. This and the other short stories help to fill out this back story and give us a deeper understanding of his character, training, motivations and values.5* gripping stuff.

⭐ July 2002, Afghanistan. Stephen Leather is right on the button with a short story of Spider Shepherd’s last days as a Special Force Agent (SAS). Known local Taliban leaders are victimising a village community with barbaric methods. There is a mole in the Bagram base where Spider and his colleagues are based. With the aid of young, helpful, yet mature 12 year old Karim he becomes involved with suicide bombers and terrorist headsmen. Karim’s father has been executed. Spider and his battle-hardened comrades deal with the situation with ruthless efficiency. The story may be short but packs a punch that adds to the background of Spider Shepherd before he embarks on his elite undercover work. Fast-paced and enjoyable.

⭐ I read a lot of books by Mr Leather…..I think he’s one of the best UK writers of the moment. He writes in several genres and experiments which is good. I also like the fact than when I criticised one of his books as I disliked it he had the bottle and courtesy to reply to me. I’ve never experienced that before.This short story is typical for those who like Spider tales. Short, sharp, violent and succinct ……it projects the reader there into the violent world of Afghanistan and The Taliban…..a short tale of violence and revenge……….I applaud the authors ventures into eroticism and detective tales….but Spider is his best character so far……..well done Stephen!

⭐ Another super short storyFrom Stephen Leather. Great and gripping read.roll onto the next short story by Stephen Leather. Cant wait

Keywords

Free Download Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series) in Epub format
Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series) Epub Free Download
Download Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series) 2012 Epub Free
Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series) 2012 Epub Free Download
Download Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series) Epub
Free Download Ebook Dead Drop: A Spider Shepherd short story (Dan Shepherd series)