100 Books Like Red Storm Rising

After reading all the original Lee Child books, I thought I would never admire another writer more. Even Clive Cussler, whose works were my initiation into the world of adult action fiction, had come in second place. Then, I picked up my first Baldacci. This is one of the best of his popular series, and this, the first in the series, deserves to be ranked as one of the top novels in the genre.

Baldacci spins tightly plotted yarns. Everything is realistic: the physical conflict, the romance, the psychology, and the technical details especially. His vocabulary and grammar are professional. But what really gets me is his command of the rhythmic, lyrical aspects of the language. So, as I read about a former assassin named “Oliver Stone” and the other three members of this club, all of whom are fascinating characters in their own right, I was pulled into the… show more.

I met Lee Child within a few weeks of this book being released. I had never read anything by Child and honestly, hadn't even heard of him prior to that meeting. I bought his book, got it autographed, and read it. His style was different from any other author I had read to that point. I liked his rogue character, Jack Reacher, and the way Child put that character into more and more peril as the story progressed. Having said all that, I had a character in my writing that, in many ways, resembled Reacher. Lee child's writing had a major influence in the crafting of my Gregg Kaplan character and series.

As a writer, it is fun to read several authors in my genre and take note of their different styles of writing. Brad Thor's novels, especially his earlier ones, were a breath of fresh air. Much like Thor's personality, they're excitable, spirited stories that move at a blistering pace…another must ingredient for the thriller genre. His storylines were as present-day as picking up the newspaper and reading the headlines. Never a dull moment with lots of wicked twists.

When I opened this book, I first loved the main character, Cotton Malone, a guy who owns a bookshop in Copenhagen…really? Then he journeyed to Rennes Le Chateau, which I went to in 2013 while I led a tour to France in search of the Templar Knights's footprint and uncovering some of their myths and legends. You have to want to get there; it’s miles from anywhere and in the Pyrenees. In the 19th century, a priest suddenly became exorbitantly wealthy there, and Steve Berry’s book picks up the thread.

He’s a really great writer. You sit right in the middle of the action yourself. This book also introduces Cassiopa Vitt, an extraordinarily well thought through complex character. Malone finds that whichever way he turns, he gets himself deeper, and there are lots of little twists in this book. I read it in speedy time as I couldn’t put it… show more.

I was skeptical of this novel, as I felt it was based on a flawed premise. The idea of a NATO vs. Soviet Engagement in the 90s was an open-and-shut case of NATO ass-whipping. By the 90s, the Soviet Machine was starting the downward spiral that we see fighting in Ukraine today. TK erased my doubts in the first few pages. I thought, “Brilliant!” and I was hooked.

There are twists in this book that you just don’t see coming. And when they hit you, it’s like a bucket of cold water. Just shocking. I can’t recommend this book enough. If you like Military Fiction, Cold War Goes Hot, or just Alternate History in general, this is a must-read!

I really enjoyed how Bart Gauvin and Joel Radunzel were able to collaborate in this “Video Game to Novel” adventure. Bart is an amazing scenario designer for “Command: Modern Operations,” a fantastic computer war game, so when he teamed up with Joel, it was a dream come true. 

I love how many of the battles in the book can be played as scenarios in the game (Including a major air battle over Northern Norway!). It’s a unique experience that I haven’t run into before, and it’s a lot of fun. Even outside of the video game, the story is well put together. I love the depth of the characters and their relationships. I was especially appreciative of the slow burn of the buildup to the action.  

When writing Alternate History, authors are often challenged between world-building and character-building. It is difficult to do both well. Colin Salt’s novel approach (and I don’t know if that pun was intended or not, TBH) pays off well, where he clearly divides his book into a deep character dive, with a sprinkling of world-building, followed by a riveting war thriller.

I found the sub-title a bit dubious, but this book really is about love, mystery, and war, and each aspect is well told. In my experience, that combination is very rare. Most authors who can write a badass battle scene tend to embarrass themselves when they try to incorporate a true love story. But Colin easily slides between the two. The Mystery was fun, and I 100% didn’t see it coming.

I love how Micheal A. Palmer extends his vision of World War III to multiple theaters of war. Whereas other Cold War Turns Hot Military Fiction tends to focus on the Soviets Invading West Germany, Palmer spends considerable time in NATO's Northern Flank, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific theater. 

I really enjoyed this book because if focused specifically on the battles and not as much on individual characters. Don’t get me wrong, I love good character-driven stories, but it really feels like Palmer recognizes his strengths and plays to them. If you love war-gaming as much as I do, you’re going to fall in love with this book.

I cried at the end of this brilliantly crafted novel about the futility of war.

It shows how an unnamed society might respond to ongoing conflict. Both sides have de-humanised the other; both are committed to revenge and retribution for the daily tragedies; and groups on both sides believe there can’t be peace without the total subjugation of the other.

I really appreciate how Nik’s worldview is shaken – and ultimately widened – when he crosses into enemy territory to find a captured friend. This story is a lesson in how peace can never come without justice, or empathy, told through great characters, gripping plot, and nail-biting tension.

(I imagine the unspecified city as being in Australia/New Zealand – the author is from NZ.)

This book is one of my all-time favorites, because even though I knew it was fiction, it felt like nonfiction as I was reading it. It was that authentic, and that alive. I truly felt like I was reading an actual history book about an event from my own world. 

The narrative structure was also amazing, telling the entire story through interviews with survivors of the zombie war, and I was riveted by those stories. They showed me what it was like to face that zombie horror, which made me desperate to know what happened, how they survived, and how they managed. Although I was reading, it felt like I was watching actual people tell their tales.